It was reported yesterday that former minister of finance Okonjo-Iweala had been served with court papers stating that she had to give information of a reported N30trn that went missing during the last Administration.
Okonjo-Iweala has now come out in a statement through her media adviser, Paul C Nwabuikwu has stated that she had not been served with any papers and that from the media publication, the case was reportedly commenced in February 2015 but was not served until July 2015 at which time, Dr Okonjo-Iweala had left office.
He said, “By the date the said papers were purportedly served Dr Okonjo-Iweala was no longer a public officer and could therefore not be the subject of a request for production of any documents or information under the Freedom of Information Act.
“The court processes must have been served on others because the attention of Dr Okonjo-Iweala was never drawn to the matter in which she appears to have been sued personally. She therefore did not engage any lawyer to act for her in the matter.
“Our attention has been drawn to media reports regarding a court judgement alleged to have been entered against the Federal Government of Nigeria and in respect of an action by the Socio-Economic Rights Agenda (SERAP) pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
“The decision of SERAP to anchor its case on a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation by former CBN governor Professor Charles Soludo that N30 trillion – about seven times the total annual budget during the Jonathan administration – is missing confirms SERAP’s dubious motives and its role as a tool for politically motivated actors.
“It is curious that the first time Dr Okonjo-Iweala is being made aware of a matter filed against her in court is in news reports reporting the delivery of judgment. She has instructed her lawyers to take steps to set aside the judgment as it affects her.”