The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed has said that the visitation of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to America will
not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election.
He said this while addressing journalist in
Abuja over an allegation that the former Vice President and Presidential
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has questions
to answer over the collapse of Bank PHB.
He said, “Let me say right away that we are
not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abukakar was able to secure visa to the
US. As a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US Green card; that will
not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election. I want to remind
Abubakar that the elections will be right here in Nigeria and not in the US.
The Minister of Information also said that there
are fresh evidences that Atiku benefitted from the slush funds that led to
collapse of the bank.
In 2009, he said that a memo was raised for
the issuance and payment of N156 million to Atiku’s account. The onus, he said,
is on Atiku to exonerate himself.
“I have come to make few remarks about the
recent visit of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party to
the US. You can recall that few weeks ago, I did issue a statement advising the
US government not to issue visa to Atiku. Remember also that in that same press
conference, I also stated that it remains the prerogative of the US government
to issue visa to anyone it deems fit.
“In any event, any time Abubakar returns home,
he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he
benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.
“The document we have shows that he benefitted
to the tune of N156 million from that slush fund. The paper which we have here
started from an internal memo on the Jan. 13, 2oo9, in which reads please refer
for discussion your requested overdraft in favour of Atiku Abubakar for N156
million and deliver same to me. Please note that it must be delivered today (Jan.
13) on the same date, another memo was generated to confirm—please confirm that
the amount stated below be issued from Claremont Management Services account.
“And we have evidence here of the account mandate—the
name of Atiku Abubakar; we also have a copy of the cheque in which the sum of
N156 million was issued to Atiku Abubakar dated Jan. 13, 2oo9 and of course we
also have statement of account within that period that confirms that this sum
was actually paid into his account.” He said
