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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of Finance and coordinating minister of Economy, denies allegation of diversion of the China Exim-Bank loan
NGOZI Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of Finance and coordinating minister of Economy, has debunked allegations in the media that a substantial part of the $1.005 billion loan from the China Exim-Bank obtained for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos and Kano was diverted by the immediate-past administration.
During a presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, August 10, Mohammed Bashar, permanent secretary, ministry of Transport, was said to have charged that a substantial part of the $1.005 billion loan for the rail line had been diverted, prompting the president to have reportedly expressing disappointment.
However, speaking through Paul Nwabuikwu, her media adviser, at the weekend, Okonjo-Iweala said that the first point to be cleared was that China-Exim Bank did not fund the Kano-Lagos rail project.
She said contrary to the allegations, the Chinese bank keeps and disburses funds for approved projects to contractors based on milestones, as funds were not domiciled with the Finance Ministry.
The statement said in part: “I want to state categorically that there is no truth in the reported allegation. Anyone who is interested can crosscheck with the China-EximBank or the Chinese Embassy…
“It is noteworthy that even though President Buhari, in his reported comments on the allegation, made no reference to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala but rightly stressed the need for due process and transparency in the execution of public projects, a sponsored media campaign has once again been launched by political elements to make the former Minister the culprit in a non-existent scandal.
“The alleged diversion has no substance for the simple reason that the Kano-Lagos project was not even among the projects presented for funding by the China Exim Bank for several strategic infrastructural projects across the country.”
Besides, the former minister said it was the Lagos–Ibadan rail project and not the Lagos-Kano rail project that was proposed in the original application to the China-EximBank, adding that in the end, no funds were assigned for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project by the China-EximBank.
“The fact which can be confirmed is that the following projects, which are at various stages of progress are being funded from facilities obtained from the China-Exim-Bank,” she said.
The statement listed them as $500 million for the expansion of four international airport terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt, $500 million for the Abuja Light Rail project, $984 million for the Zungeru Hydro-electric power project, and $100 million for the Galaxy Backbone project.
“It is also important to note that even if the alleged project was on the list of China-EximBank funded projects, diversion of any Chinese funds would have been extremely difficult because the terms of the contract and the processes would simply not have permitted such action.
“The procedure is that funds for approved loans remain in the China-EximBank and are released directly to the Chinese firm executing the contract only after the presentation of duly certified proof of work by the responsible Ministry, in this case it would have been the Federal Ministry of Transport, based on the agreed milestones. For the sake of emphasis, the China-EximBank does not disburse money directly to government and therefore the issue of diversion does not arise,” the statement said.
Okonjo-Iweala viewed the media report against her as another calculated “campaign of calumny, innuendo, misinformation, and outright distortions being perpetrated by certain political elements” against her so as to damage her reputation. .
“We respectfully request the media to refrain from attaching Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s name and photographs to spurious and unfounded allegations. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as a Nigerian citizen in a democracy, a citizen who has served her country with honesty and integrity, also has some fundamental rights to justice and fair play,” the statement added.
— Aug 17, 2015 @ 12:10 GMT
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