Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the
Federal Government must make sure that the ongoing investigation into arms
deals under the past administration is total by ensuring that all those
involved in what he called “the chain of conspiracy” are dealt with decisively.
Specifically, the governor called for the arrest
and prosecution of former minister of former minister of Finance Okonjo-Iweala,
arguing that there was no way money could have been taken from the nation’s
treasury without her knowledge.
Oshiomhole spoke with State House correspondents
on Wednesday shortly after he met behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu
Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the government could not afford to be
selective in the probe because in criminal law, all those involved must be
charged with conspiracy.
He said Okonjo-Iweala, who was also the
Coordinating Minister of the Economy under former President Goodluck Jonathan,
could not be coordinating “a corruption-ridden economy” and be pretending to be
an angel.
Oshiomhole argued that if a Minister of Finance
endorsed documents to ensure the release of funds, it was the responsibility of
the government official to also ensure that the money was spent on the purpose
for which it was released.
The governor said, “I am not shocked at the
revelations from the arms probe. I have just told some people that the
government has to go the whole hog because I know as a governor that no money
gets out of the treasury even after I have approved as the governor without the
commissioner of finance. That is the procedure.
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