Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I was not involved in alleged aviation fund scam, says Okonjo-Iweala
From Martins Oloja,
Abuja Bureau Chief

FORMER Finance and Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied involvement in any transactions in the Aviation sector being probed by Senate Committee in Nigeria.

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Specifically, Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank Vice President and current managing director of the global financial institution, said contrary to recent reports in the news media linking her to a process that led to a controversial N6.5 billion, she was not involved in any way in the loan deal.

A statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Media Adviser to the former minister, Paul Nwabiukwu, confirmed the position of the World Bank chief.

Nwabiukwu said Okonjo-Iweala is apparently angry that her name had been reportedly linked to the deal that has no bearing with her schedules as minister.

He said: "One of such reports, which has been published in several national dailies, claims that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was instrumental to obtaining a N6.5 billion loan from a bank as part of the Aviation Intervention Fund to finance the rehabilitation of tower projects in four of the nation's airports.

"This statement is completely false. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had absolutely nothing to do with the process which led to getting the facility from the bank or any other bank for that matter."

"As Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala carried out her statutory responsibilities without concerning herself with issues such as contracts and placement of funds. As the bank would readily confirm, there was no basis for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to play any such role".

Nwabiukwu also decried the speculation that Okonjo-Iweala would have been arrested if she had appeared before the committee.

His words: "From the information available to the former minister, there is no reason for the committee to contemplate any such action. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had forwarded a letter to the committee, which adequately explained the origins of the loan in the wake of the unfortunate plane crashes that happened two years ago.

"It is also important to note that, before she resigned from the Obasanjo government in August 2006, the only money spent out of the Aviation Fund was the N2 billion which was used to pay the entitlements of disengaged workers of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria".

He added: "It is becoming increasingly clear that there is an orchestrated campaign by some persons to impugn the integrity and hard-won reputation of Dr Okonjo-Iweala. Whatever the motives of these persons may be, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is confident that they will fail - again - because Nigerians are too wise for their antics".