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I have never received one kobo from Ex-president Jonathan Himself : Femi Fani- Kayode issues statement on N1.7b allegation

I read with amusement the allegation that was

made in SaharaReporters, the unofficial media

wing of the Buhari administration, Nigeria’s

Secret Police, the DSS, and the EFCC, no that I was

given 1.7 billion naira cash by President

Goodluck Jonathan. This is false. A few hours

later they changed their story and said that I

received 1.7 billion naira from the office of the

former NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki. This is also

false.

I have never received one kobo from President

Jonathan himself, Colonel Dasuki or any other

member of President Jonathan’s government. I

have not ever been in receipt of any public funds

and neither was I the beneficiary of any

payments in cash, transfer, cheque or otherwise

from any government official during the tenure of

President Jonathan.

As Director of Media and Publicity of the

Jonathan/Sambo Campaign organisation I

received money on behalf of the Directorate of

Media and Publicity which I headed from private

individuals and companies during the election

campaigns but these were not public funds but

rather private contributions specifically for the

Presidential and other campaigns.

Such moneys were transferred into my account

by the Director of Finance of the Presidential

Campaign Organisation and that account was

SPECIFICALLY set up for the purpose of running

the publicity and media aspect of the campaign

for the whole country and my Directorate.

These private individuals and companies paid

their contributions into a designated account

which was provided and controlled by the

Director of Finance and from there she

transferred it to the accounts of the various

Directors and various individuals that were

running for public office that the PCO supported.

The money that was sent to me for my

Directorate by the Director of Finance was used

in a lawful and responsible manner and by the

time the campaigns were over my Directorate

had paid all of its bills for services rendered and

was not owing any media house or anyone else

one kobo.

The Presidential candidate of our party President

Goodluck Jonathan, the D-G of the PCO, the

Auditor of the PCO, the Advisor to the PCO and

the Director of Finance of the PCO all received

reports and saw the results of the efforts of my

Directorate. Not only were they satisfied with our

efforts but they also commended us.

Those private individuals and companies that

were kind enough to support and fund President

Jonathans presidential campaign with their hard

earned money were perfectly within their rights

to do so and they were more than happy with our

efforts as well.

They also commended us. Even though we

ended up losing the election we fought a very

virile, strong, visible, historic and aggressive

campaign and the Nigerian people can attest to

this. The encounter with the APC was an epic

one and it was probably the most active and

gruelling electoral battle in the history of our

country.

Not one kobo of public funds was spent by or

given to my Directorate during the campaign and

as far as I am aware not one kobo of public

funds was spent by or given to the PCO.

Presidential campaigns all over the world cost

huge amounts of money and Nigeria is no

different.

This is especially so when it comes to publicity

and media. My Directorate was difficult to run

and our work was capital intensive. We did not

use marshmallows, pebbles, and grass to pay for

all the services rendered to us and all the

television and newspaper adverts were fully paid

for with money.

Nothing was done or given to us free of charge

by anyone. This should not be a surprise to

anyone as the APC and President Buhari’s

campaign organisation did the same.

I opened an account specifically for the funds

that were used to run my Directorate and fund

all our activities in order to ensure accountability

and transparency.

We also audited our accounts regularly and

insisted on the highest level of professionalism

from all those that worked for or with us.

Since when such matters have become a crime

or subjects of criminal investigations I don’t

know. If it was a crime to speak up for Jonathan

during the campaign they should just say so.

If it is a crime to be a member of the PDP and

to be in opposition they should just say so. If it

is a crime to speak up for and defend President

Jonathan and key members of his government

after he has left office they should just say so.

If it is a crime to oppose the Buhari

administration and speak up against his gross

violations of human rights that they are indulging

in and the violation of court orders they should

just say so.

During the 2015 elections the PCO and my

Directorate spoke up and campaigned for many

PDP members who were running for public office

and we funded and worked for them too. That

was our job and I am very proud of the PCO and

the role we all played despite limited resources.

I am particularly proud of the efforts of my team

at the Directorate and I can assure all those that

care to listen and that refuse to be misled by the

government propaganda machine that we did

nothing wrong. All we did was run an effective

campaign and we did so with private funds and

not funds from the government.

I am aware of the attempt by the government

and my enemies to discredit me, smear my name

and silence me by alleging all manner of

wrongdoing but I am not in the least bit

perturbed. As always my innocence will fight for

me and my God will never forsake me.

I know that this government is capable of doing

anything, of inducing anyone to say anything and

that they have no sense of decency, justice or

fair play. They are prepared to charge anyone

just for breathing the air if needs be and they

can attempt to frame up anyone that they

believe is a thorn in their flesh.

I have always known this yet I refuse to run

away or to be silenced and I will not be cowered.

Though I have been warned and told over and

over again by those amongst them who care for

my well being that I have been listed down and

targeted for persecution I am not in the least bit

concerned about their evil plans for me. My life

and destiny is in the hands of God and not theirs

and He will fight for me and vindicate me.

As I have always said, the night may be dark but

joy comes in the morning. If it was a crime to

use moneys that were freely donated by private

individuals from lawful and legitimate sources to

fund the Presidential and other campaigns let

them say so.

No election campaign anywhere in the world,

including that of President Buhari was run with

just words, goodwill, grass and pebbles and

neither were we given free campaign adverts or

air time. All these things were run and paid for

with large sums of money.

This is especially so with publicity and media

because that was the lifeblood of the various

campaigns. I repeat, there is nothing that we did

in the campaign organisation or that my

Directorate did that Lai Mohammed, Buhari and

the APC did not do in theirs. As a matter of fact

they spent far more than we did but I have no

idea where they got their money and whether

they were private or public funds.

Most importantly my Directorate and, as far as I

am aware, the Jonathan Sambo Presidential

Campaign Organisation did not receive ANY

public funds from any government official or

office to run our campaign. Of this I am

absolutely sure and I am very confident because

I made a point of asking and insisting that this

must be so. These are the facts and I eagerly

await my accusers, persecutors and detractors.

Meanwhile I shall continue to live my life in

peace, I shall not be intimidated by the boastful

threats of the enemy and I will continue to live

my life in the usual law-abiding manner that I

have always done.

It is expedient and necessary for me to speak

out now even though the EFCC has not said a

word on this matter or even confirmed that there

is indeed an investigation going on. This is

because the modus operandii of the Commission

of late is to leak their intentions to

SaharaReporters before they strike and abduct

their victims.

This has happened on a number of occasions and

sadly they use such mediums to tell all manner

of lies about the case and the accused to the

public. By the time they finish they would have

convicted their victim in a vicious smear

campaign and media trial which is usually

plagued and fuelled by lies and falsehood.

It is for this reason that I have taken this

opportunity, whilst I am still at liberty, to tell the

Nigerian people the truth and let them have all

the facts. I sincerely hope that my statement will

help to clarify matters in the eyes of the public

regardless of whatever lies that they will soon be

inundated with by a desperate, weak and wicked

government. I fear them not because my life is in

God’s hands. God bless Nigeria.