ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The camp of former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan appears to be in disarray as strong indications emerged that a deep distrust has crept into the fold.
This development comes on the heels of the fierceness with which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has pursued members of the immediate past administration for corruption.
Already, it has been revealed that Jonathan’s special assistant on domestic matters, Dr Waripamowei Dudafa , has been ‘collaborating’ the anti-graft agency by leaking sensitive documents to both officials of the APC led government and the EFCC.
A top member of the last government told a group of journalists on Easter Monday that they wondered why the former aide, who was fingered by the former president’s ADC, Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe as the brain behind the disbursement of the N10 billion for PDP delegates to the presidential nomination has not been invited by the EFCC.
According to him, it was a surprise to them that sensitive documents which Dudafa was in custody of were in the hands of the EFCC. The source cited such documents concerning the $6.9 million 40-feet mobile stages for the presidential campaigns and the memo from a former permanent secretary in the presidential villa for the release of the sum of N3.145 billion to a pro Jonathan campaign group.
”We are still in shock that one of us decided to betray simply because he thinks he will not be touched by the EFCC. Dudafa has been fingered as the person who sent in documents about the mobile stages simply out of anger that the payment was made through the former petroleum minister and not him.
“He is also fingered as the man who gave out a memo containing the approval of some funds for the Goodluck Support Group and many other documents are said to have got to the EFCC through him.
“We just got wind of this and when we inquired further, it was discovered to be true because even after the former ADC said the anti-graft body should invite Dudafa, they feigned ignorance simply because he is being used by them to get documents.”
It will be recalled that one Jones Opugu, spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Assembly accused Dudafa of being “a traitor and a disgrace to the Ijaw nation.”
He had said: ”We have it on good authority and have subsequently found out to be true that Dudafa was behind the latest probe where his former boss and former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, were alleged to have purchased three pieces of 40-feet mobile stages for mass public speaking at $6.9 million.
“We are also aware that more of such documents are being made available to nail our own son and his former boss”, Opugu stated.
Also penultimate week, operatives of the EFCC were said to have intercepted a memo for the release of the N3.145bb allegedly given to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign for disbursement to six party chieftains and the Goodluck Support Group (GSG). A former permanent secretary generated the memo from the Presidential Villa, it was gathered.
One of the beneficiaries said the memo was allegedly based on the instructions and approval of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who is yet to speak on allegations that he authorised many “curious” payments before the 2015 general election.
It was gathered that the some of the beneficiaries ran to the ex-President for help because he reportedly approved the memo. The EFCC is insisting that the cash must be refunded.
According to sources EFCC operatives have cracked how the N3.145bn deal was struck.
A source said: “We have uncovered a memo which was raised by a former Permanent Secretary for the release of the N3.145bn by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“Preliminary findings indicated that the idea to wire money from the CBN actually came from the Presidential Villa.
“We are looking into all clues in order to identify more public officers and PDP chieftains involved in the alleged diversion of public funds from the CBN to the campaign directorate.
“After completing the first stage of investigation, we will then invite some of the suspects for interrogation”.
