Reluctantly, Nigeria’s controversial Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke has authorised a watery defence against our reports detailing his multi-billion dollars hidden bank accounts and investments in about 25 bluechip companies in Nigeria. The defence which lacks facts and figures was written by presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati and being circulated by him through a designated points man with a promise of ‘brown envelope’ rewards for newspaper editors that will promote the story on their cover page tomorrow, Sunday. The name of the Chief Press Secretary to the Justice Minister, Ambrose Momoh was however put on the statement as part of the deceit game.
Though the Minister admitted operating the bank accounts quoted in our earlier report in his statement of defence today, he however failed to disclose how much money is in those accounts now, confirming our reports of Friday that efforts were on going to deplete the balances in the accounts as it is the tradition of Nigerian banks to cover tracks for their high net worth customers.
In the statement, the Minister also woefully failed to refer to, confirm or deny his investments in bluechip companies listed in our second report especially on his link to Oando Oil and Eterna Oil that have both benefitted more than N230 billion between January and August, 2011 from the nation’s contentious fuel subsidy funds.
We therefore wish to state emphatically that we stand by the two reports published by us in the last 48 hours on the Minister and challenge him to step down for a proper investigation by reputable civil society groups and professional bodies like the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA.
Though Mr Adoke has invited the police to probe his accounts when he’s still in a position to influence their investigation, we will however ensure further details still held back now will be published if they make further attempts to twist the facts and figures of already published reports.
His statement of defence which circulation is being coordinated by a reporter attached to Tribune newspaper in Abuja is reproduced below:
RESPONSE TO THE RECENT ATTACK ON THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, MR. MOHAMMED BELLO ADOKE, SAN, CFR
1. The attention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, CFR has been drawn to Reports making the rounds in the social media including Sahara Reporters, Point-blank News, I-Reports etc, to the effect that he maintains accounts with First City Monument Bank, Diamond Bank and Zenith Bank Plc into which lodgements running into several Millions of Naira, Dollars and Pound Sterling have been made.
2. While these spurious allegations/reports would ordinarily have been ignored, the tendency for Nigerians to believe such blatant lies and malicious stories has necessitated this response so as to put the records straight and re-assure all well meaning Nigerians especially the Attorney General’s friends, close associates and relatives who are worried and greatly saddened since these allegations began circulating in the social media.
3. We wish to categorically state that while the Attorney General maintains accounts with Diamond Bank and First City Monument Bank, the balances in those accounts are certainly nowhere near the outrageous figures quoted in the publication. It is instructive to note that Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, has been a Legal Practitioner for 26 years and was in recognition of his achievements elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2006. As an investment lawyer, he made careful investments which yielded good returns. At the time he was invited to serve as Attorney General of the Federation, he was by the grace of God, a successful legal practitioner, by every standard.
4. It is also instructive to note that the Attorney General of the Federation declared his assets including all his accounts on assumption office as Attorney General of the Federation. Mr. Adoke further directed that no money should be paid into all his accounts except the salary account he maintains with Intercontinental Bank Plc. Consequently, the authentic balances in the accounts maintained by Mr. Adoke only reflect his earnings as a legal practitioner/investor before he took public office. We therefore advice anyone interested in knowing the net worth of the Attorney General to check his asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
5. It should also be appreciated that no allegation of wrongdoing has been made against the person of the Attorney General of the Federation. It is therefore clear that the objective of the publication was to damage his reputation and expose him to public odium. The Attorney General has therefore lodged a formal complaint to the Inspector General of Police and has called on the Inspector General of Police to cause a painstaking investigation to be carried out on the allegations made in the publication and the Report made public.
6. This is necessary to prove to Nigerians that the Attorney General has nothing to hide and can account for his earnings and wealth. Mr. Adoke has maintained a consistent lifestyle in the last 15 years and will by the grace of God continue to maintain his cherished values of honesty, probity and accountability in public office.
7. Finally, we make bold to state that if the motive of the publication was to discourage and distract the Attorney General of the Federation in the discharge of his duties and commitment to the development of this country, such endeavour has clearly failed.
Ambrose Momoh
Chief Press Secretary to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
e-mail-umolaojoegbabu@gmail.com
+2347061894448
Source: ireports-ng.com
