A former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, has distanced himself from the $2.1 billion arms scam.
Anenih, in a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the N260 million traced to his account by the Commission was from former President Goodluck Jonathan, a refund for political expenses on behalf of the former president.
Anenih, in the letter, said he was not aware that the money was from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
He said he was only asked by Jonathan to submit an account into which the money he expended on a political assignment by the former president and candidate of the PDP for last year’s presidential election could be paid.
He said he was therefore not in a position to know which Office his account details would be sent for reimbursement.
Anenih said part of the assignment he undertook for Jonathan was the sealing of a pact with the Social Democratic Party for the party’s support for the former president’s presidential bid.
This involved Anenih releasing N100 million to the SDP, which was collected and acknowledged by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Olu Falae.
Anenih attached a copy of his correspondence with Falae to the response he sent to the EFFC’s query on the controversial N260 million received from Dasuki’s office.
The letter by Anenih to Falae, dated January 26, 2015, established the agreement the PDP reached with the SDP for inter-party cooperation to support Jonathan’s presidential ambition.
The letter, entitled: “Inter-Party Co-operation,” and signed by Anenih in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP reads in part: “I write to sincerely thank you for your letter dated January 23, 2015, on the above subject matter.
“After due consultations with relevant stakeholders of our party, I am pleased to convey to you our decisions on the issues and to further inform you that the President and the leadership of our party have expressed delight and strong optimism to fully cooperate and work with the SDP in the circumstance.”
The PDP, through Anenih, also made a number of promises to the SDP on certain critical issues to which Falae’s party demanded explanation and commitment from both the PDP and Jonathan.
For instance, Anenih stated on the implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference as demanded by Falae in an earlier letter: “Please be assured that the report of the National Conference will be implemented to the letter. We believe that having regards to the fact that the National Conference was a baby of the President, he is in a better position to implement it. And this is what he is doing.”
On the demand for “zero tolerance to corruption”, Anenih responded: “There is no doubt that our party, the PDP, and your party, the SDP, are on the same page on this issue. Apart from the fact that this administration has done more arrests, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of corrupt cases, the President has continuously laid emphasis on the need to develop an appropriate technology to comprehensively combat corruption and its vices.
“The approach, for example, has produced immense results in eliminating corruption that was associated with the distribution of fertilizers in Nigeria in the past.”
On “intensification of efforts to defeat insurgency” as demanded by the SDP, Anenih wrote: “It is the primary duty of Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens and secure the territorial integrity of the nation. This Government has consistently made efforts to deal with the challenges of Boko Haram who have established their operational base somewhere between some States in the North-East of the country and the boundary with some of our neighbouring African countries.
“Terrorism has become a global phenomenon and fighting it requires the co-operation of not just the entire citizens but the support of the international community. The President is working on this. In his recent visit to Borno and in a rally in Maiduguri few days ago, he assured the people that every inch of Nigerian soil currently under the control of insurgents will be recovered in no distant time.”
On “combating unemployment”, Anenih stated: “This is certainly a primary focus of this Administration considering the various programmes designed and implemented since 2011; programmes such as SURE-P, YouWin, Agricultural and Industrial transformation, including the railways that have generated massive employment opportunities for Nigerians. The President intends to sustain the tempo and improve on existing records.”
On “reduction of recurrent expenditure and increase in capital expenditure”, Anenih gave this explanation to Falae and the SDP: “This is an area that the President is not only ready to give a critical look at but he is also prepared to welcome new ideas and positive contributions from leaders of the SDP.”
The sixth issue raised by the SDP through the letter by Falae was on the “participation of SDP in the PDP Government”.
Anenih wrote: “Please be assured that the SDP will be considered as worthy participant in the Government and will be adequately consulted in this regards.”
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