By Uche Amunike
A former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, has stated, Tuesday, that the $6.2 million released from the Central Bank of Nigeria, February 2023 was done so after a forged document was presented to the CBN.
He made this disclosure before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja when he appeared as the 4th prosecution witness in the ongoing 4th trial of the immediate past CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
On February 8th 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleged that Emefiele converged with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF, Boss Mustapha ‘vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.
The FCC further alleged that in January 2023, it may fairly forged a document titled: ‘RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN OBSERVER MISSIONS’, dated January 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.
Boss Mustapha, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Tuesday, attested that the documents neither came from the Office of the President, nor his office.
He further denied receiving any amount of money from the $6.2m. Hear him: ‘All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons: ‘A correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.’
‘Secondly, I have looked at it and read, that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.’
‘Thirdly, I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me. Also, in all the five years and seven months, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the national assembly and when the government file drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.’
He further stated: ‘In all the correspondences I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.’ And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.’
He also told the court that the federal government had no business with foreign election observers, INEC had the sole responsibility for that, adding that the approval for the fund was never on the agenda of the Federal Executive Council, held on January 18, 2023 could not have been approved.
His words: ‘My lord, there was a meeting on Jan 18. The Vice President presided over the meeting. My role as secretary was to prepare the agenda of the meeting and on that, there was a 16-point agenda. There was no agenda for payment to foreign election observers. Consequently, if it was not an item on the agenda, it can’t be discussed and it will not appear in the conclusion of the meeting of January 18. There was no such approval, conclusion, or transmission for the payment of the money.
