Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Monday said that donations to institutions for promoting peace in Nigeria and Africa ought not to be criminalised.
Abubakar, in a statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja, said that presidential libraries in America and other parts of the world were funded by donations from civic-minded individuals.
He said that the his attention was drawn to alleged publication capable of causing disaffection between him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He denied media reports that Malam Babalele Abdullahi, his son-in-law, donated cash to the Olusegun Obasanjo Library.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Abdullahi, did not donate any money in cash to the Obasanjo Library. Yes, he did facilitate a donation of N50 million to the Obasanjo Presidential Library, but so did many other individuals, including civic-minded traditional rulers, state Governors, bankers and captains of industry”.
“This is because the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library is a non-governmental organisation that plays a pivotal role in promoting peace and stability in Nigeria, and that should be applauded,” he said.
Abubakar added that for the avoidance of doubt, Abdullahi’s donation of N50 million was made via a bank transfer, in full compliance with the law.
“The sources of these funds are completely legitimate and have been conclusively proven to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)”.
“Let it be known that the government established the EFCC to be an investigative body and not a propaganda or enforcement arm,” he said.
Recall that some of the allegations levelled against the EFCC and APC include the arraignment of Mr Abubakar’s son-in-law, Babalele Abdullahi, the publication by FIRS of the names of Mr Obasanjo’s farm, Davido Music Worldwide Ltd, and other PDP sympathisers among 19,901 tax defaulters.
The arrest and arraignment of Mr Babalele by the anti-graft agency was on a two-count charge of money laundering allegedly committed in the build-up to the 2019 General Election.
“An action such as this is tantamount to a river denying its own source, since Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the fountain of origin of the EFCC, seeing as he founded the institution and nurtured it to maturity.
