Okonjo-Iweala may not be guilty of fraud — Joda

Transition Committee Chairman, Ahmed Joda, said his panel did not find anything to believe a former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was guilty of graft.

Okonjo-Iweala served last in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Joda, who spoke with select journalists in Yola, Adamawa State, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which had beamed its searchlight on the last administration, might never find Okonjo-Iweala guilty of any wrongdoing, despite the various financial malfeasances that had been traced to the Jonathan administration.

However, Joda expressed surprise at Okonjo-Iweala’s, action of not resigning her position even when it became obvious that many people in the administration were not acting in good conscience.

Joda said this while responding to a suggestion on whether or not Buhari could bring back the likes of the former Finance Minister to help the administration fix the economy.

Joda said despite the perfidy committed by some persons during the administration, Okonjo-Iweala always sought presidential approval, and by so doing shielded herself.

He noted that such tactfulness from her made it difficult for anyone, including the EFCC, to be able to link her with fraud.

He said, “Okonjo-Iweala is a professional and she guarded herself, if you look at what she did. Whenever, they said this happened she was able to produce papers to say, ‘look oh!’ We had a meeting, presided over by the President and attended by the National Security Adviser and others. And we agreed.

“And she would go back and write the President and say, ‘I have received a request to release so many billions in accordance with our minutes. Your Excellency, if you will approve.’ And His Excellency would approve it. So, she covered herself, thus you can’t pin anything on her.”