A former Minister of finance, Senator Nenadi Usman has reportedly returned N23m to the Federal Government.
Usman, the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, was on Thursday, April 21, arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for receiving N2.5bn worth of taxpayers money – which was shared to some party chieftains during the last general elections.
Punch Newspapers reports that a source at the EFCC revealed that Usman, apart from returning the N23m, had promised to return more funds .
“Nenadi Usman has been cooperating with us. In fact, she has returned N23m to the Federal Government.”
Usman was quoted to have said that everything she did was based on the directive of former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
She further told investigators that she was asked to set up a bank account during the build-up to the election.
She purportedly said all donations were made to Jonathan’s campaign through the said account – Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited while adding that it was through this account that funds were released to all campaign directors, zonal coordinators and other parties, groups as well as individuals who campaigned for the PDP.
Director of Publicity, Femi Fani-Kayode, was paid N840m through this account while the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Olu Falae, and former Oyo state governor, Rashidi Ladoja, were alleged to have received N100m each, through the same account, as well as others alleged to have received funds from Usman.
The EFCC source was further quoted to have said: “She told us that she did not know the funds belonged to the Federal Government.”
“However, we asked her why she didn’t verify and also why didn’t she set up an account bearing the name of the PDP. Why did she use her company account if not that she wanted to keep things secret.”
