A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Jackson Ude has petitioned the United States Congress over the alleged looting of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by its Governor, Godwin Emefiele and his ilk.
Ude, who is Coordinator of the Nigerian Young Professional Forum (NYPF) U.S/Caribbean Chapter, appealed to Congress to hold a special congressional hearing and apply the Magnitsky Act to sanction the alleged looters.
Known formally as the Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, the Magnitsky Act was intended to punish Russian officials responsible for the death of Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison in 2009 and also to grant permanent normal trade relations status to Russia.
Since 2016 the bill, which applies globally, authorizes the US government to sanction those who it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the U.S.
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Ude, a former Director of Strategy and Communication under Jonathan, equally slammed the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for riding to victory on a promise to fight corruption “but no successful prosecutions have happened”.
The petition read:
U.S Congress
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, Leader Schumer:
CORRUPTION, LOOTING IN CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA: A CALL FOR A SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL HEARING, INVESTIGATION, SANCTIONS ON GODWIN EMEFIELE AND OTHERS
We wish to bring your attention to the wanton looting, brazen stealing and corruption being perpetrated by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and members of the inner circle of President Mohammadu Buhari otherwise called the Cabal.
You may wish to recall that President Buhari came to power in 2015 with a pledge to tackle corruption. But no successful prosecutions have happened, and he appears to condone and shield his friends and family members tainted by serious allegations of financial fraud.
Recall also that earlier this year, Transparency International, TI, Corruption Perception Index, perceived Nigeria as one of Africa’s most corrupt countries. Nigeria was ranked 146 out of 180 Countries surveyed worldwide -a slap in the face of President Buhari’s dubious anti- corruption mantra.
The activities of CBN Governor Emefiele have, in no small measure, contributed and continue to contribute to Nigeria’s dubious fight against corruption and further weakened the country’s economy — which largely depends on oil exports and foreign grants.
Between 2015 and 2016, under Emefiele’s watch, CBN conspired with Nigeria’s oil corporation, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to illegally divert $24,263,008.56 meant to be shared to 37 states and 774 local councils.
In a leaked tape obtained by Saharareporters.com, one of Nigeria’s leading Investigative news websites, Emefiele and some officials of the CBN were caught discussing how to cover up the loss of over N500bn (an equivalent of $1.2billion) stolen from the CBN in a private investment that failed. Till date, no one, including Emefiele, has been held accountable.
In a most bizarre manner, the CBN allegedly awarded a contract for the expansion of its parking lot to Bulet International Limited, a company owned by Ismaila Isa Funtua, an ally and confidant of President Mohammadu Buhari at a whopping N30 billion (the equivalent of $77.5million) in 2019. No parking lot extension contract cost that much in the United States.
The contract, which violated Nigeria’s procurement laws, was secretly awarded to Bulet International. No investigation and prosecution have happened despite numerous media reports.
Emefiele has been running the CBN with top members of the Buhari cabal led by Isa Funtua, the owner of Bulet Construction Company and the recently deceased Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, Mamman Daura, Lawan Daura, Babagana Kingibe, Nasir Danu and few others who are all from the Northern part of Nigeria.
What is even more shocking is that Isa Funtua and the cabal have been running a black-market forex cartel worth $800m every week since the beginning of the Buhari administration in 2015. This continued until late 2017 when the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo scaled it down it to $500m when the President was away for medicals.
We were reliably informed that a large portion of the funds stolen through the CBN Governor end up in the coffers of Boko Haram terrorists, armed bandits, and Fulani Jihadists currently ravaging Northern Nigeria.
Almost a hundred percent of the 7,400 murders by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen since June 2015 were Christians. Fulani militias wipe out whole Christian villages.
Reliable statistics also show that between 11,500 and 12,000 Christians have been massacred since June 2015 when Buhari assumed the Presidency of Nigeria. These statistics are based on careful records kept by church groups that document the names of victims and dates of their murders.
It is our belief that the influx of illicit funds in the hands of the Buhari cabal which end up in the hands of promoters of Boko Haram and armed bandits, is responsible for the spike in attacks on innocent Nigerians by these terrorist groups.
Emefiele and his group of corrupt elements in Nigeria have not only fueled terrorism, but have also encouraged human rights abuses, putting funds in the hands of politicians and cronies who have consistently abused the rights of citizens.
The ripple effect and danger of these inhuman act caused by the major Financial Actors in Nigeria has it’s negative implications to the international community with the worrisome increase in irregular migration, regional insecurity, growing rate of cybercrime, organized kidnapping of vulnerable citizens, economic instability, youth unemployment and lack of proper identity management system.
Nigeria, as the most populous black Nation in the world will continue to keep the stronger nations like the U.S and European countries busy with negative vices, if these issues of corruption are not deliberately dealt with, with serious sanctions and immigration restrictions.
Our Demands:
· Convene a Special Congressional Hearing on Corruption in Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria under President Mohammadu Buhari;
· Place Godwin Emefiele, Abubakar Malami, Nasir Danu, Babagana Kingibe, Samaila Isa Funtua, Abubakar Isa Funtua and all those linked with the corruption in CBN and on the U.S watchlist;
· Invoke the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) with Nigeria and obtain banking and other financial records on the dealings involving Emefiele, Bulet International owned by Samaila Isa Funtua and Abubakar Isa Funtua;
· Invoke the Global Magnistky Act and Place Visa restrictions on Godwin Emefiele, Abubakar Malami, Ismaila Isa Funtua, Abubakar Isa Funtua, Mamman Daura, Lawan Daura, Babagana Kingibe and Nasir Danu, their families and others linked with the corruption in CBN.
We are prepared to testify under oath in Congress and provide all necessary documents to aid the speedy investigations of all the claims listed.
The Nigeria Young Professional Forum, U.S/Caribbean for which I lead is willing to use all legal means necessary in bringing an end to corruption in Nigeria to give her young population a new lease of life for a better future. We will not hesitate to approach the courts in the U.S in this regard.
Sincerely,
Jackson Ude
Coordinator, NYPF, U.S/Caribbean
Cc: U.S. State Department
Cc: Department of Justice
Cc: Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI
Cc: Central Intelligence Agency, CIA