TheCable

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance and co-coordinating minister for the economy, has described the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) as “a tool of corrupt politicians”.

Reacting to the organisation’s demand of her probe over the management of the loot of Sani Abacha, former military ruler, Okonjo-Iweala said SERAP was hiding under the umbrella of civil society to perpetrate mischief.

The minister who served under two different presidents – Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan –said she managed the resources of the country in a prudent manner.

She was reacting in a statement signed on her behalf by Paul Nwabuikwu, her spokesman.

The statement read: “It is curious that SERAP, ignoring more worthy issues, decided to embark on this fishing expedition of a 10-year-old process that was handled in an exemplary and transparent fashion. This shows that neither the organisation nor its charges should be taken seriously.

“The Okonjo-Iweala name is impregnable because it is built on impeccable personal and professional integrity. The facts show that as finance minister under the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations, she was a force for good who managed the country’s finances transparently and with great competence.

“Even though SERAP says its allegations were based on a World Bank statement, it neglected to tell the world that the same World Bank actively collaborated with the federal ministry of finance on a 2006 field report which analysed how the repatriated funds were used.

“It will be recalled that, as part of the repatriation process, the Swiss government requested and the Nigerian government under President Obasanjo agreed that the World Bank should monitor the use of the repatriated Abacha funds.

“The field survey, released in 2006, is titled ‘Utiliation of Repatriated Abacha loot: Results of the Field Monitoring Exercise’. It shows that specific funds were indeed transparently programmed and used to boost the budgets of specific target ministries in 2004 and 2005.

“The document also confirms that these funds were properly appropriated and channeled into roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria. The survey shows that as at 2006 when the report was issued, these projects were in place. The report also shows that credible civil society groups were part of the survey and that “all sampled projects exist and can be located on the ground”.

“These facts put paid to the lies of SERAP and its political sponsors.

“Against this background, the call by SERAP that Okonjo-Iweala be personally probed for a transparently conducted and publicly implemented decision of the Obasanjo government that she served under underscores the very political agenda of SERAP.

“To say the obvious, civil society groups play a very important role in putting positive pressure on government to remain focused on good governance in order to ensure that clear and measurable results are achieved. No country can manage governance to global standards without civil society groups. And Nigeria is no exception. Nigeria has many credible advocacy groups doing important work in many areas.

“It is therefore sad that SERAP which has made other false allegations against Okonjo-Iweala is hiding under the hallowed umbrella of civil society while acting as a tool for reprehensible, corrupt vested interests.

“No amount of sponsored propaganda can conceal the fact that the implementation of the agreement with the Swiss government was done transparently and the report was publicly issued. The entire process was properly managed and reviewed with the help of reputable international organisations.

“We advise SERAP to change its ways and stop wasting the time of Nigerians with fruitless and sponsored campaigns against innocent individuals.”