13th February, 2024
..SGF Boss Mustapha says it’s not business of Buhari to pay election observers
By Ayorinde Oluokun
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja on Tuesday that the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhari on the letter directing withdrawal of $6.2 million from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN for payment on international election observers was forged.
Mustapha made the claim while giving his testimony as the second prosecution witness in the trial of ex-Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretenses to the tune of $6,230,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had accused the former CBN Governor of impersonating President Buhari to remove the sum of $6.2 million from the vaults of the apex bank.
The withdrawal of the over $6.2 million to pay foreign observers for the 2023 election was first uncovered by Jim Obazee, a special investigator appointed to probe affairs of the apex bank under the leadership of Emefiele by President Tinubu.
A top official of CBN, Micheal Ogbu who appeared as first Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the trial on Monday confirmed the purported payment of $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in the 2023 general election by Emefiele.
Ogbu had told the Court on Monday that the amount was given out in cash to an official from the office of the SGF, he identified as Jibril Abubakar following approvals by President Buhari and CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele following a request by the SGF.
But in his testimony as the second prosecution witness on Tuesday, the former SGF from whose office the letter authorizing the purported payment emanated denied any knowledge of the directive by the former President Buhari for such payment to international election observers.
Boss Mustapha said no such document emanated from his office or from the office of President Buhari for the five years and seven months he was in office
The former SGF said he never heard of anything like “Special Appropriation Provision”, the heading under which the $6.2 million was withdrawn from the CBN while he was in office.
While further faulting the letter, Mustapha said the correspondences he received from former President Buhari, he never concluded with “Please accept with my highest regard.”
He added that the signature on the letter was a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature.
The former SGF concluded that those who withdrew $6,230,000 from the CBN on February 8, 2023 must have forged the signature of the former President.
Boss Mustapha added that it was not the responsibility of the federal government or the office of the SGF to request funds from the CBN for the payment of foreign election observers.
The former SGF said all issues related to election observers are the sole responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission.