Abacha $311 Loot: We Were Wrong on Five FG Priority Projects To Benefit – Presidency
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Presidency on Wednesday said that it was wrong in claiming that five Federal Government priority projects would benefit from the recently repatriated Sani Abacha loot.
It said the projects to benefit from the repatriated Abacha loot are three and not five, stressing that the Mambilla Power and the East-West road projects are not included in the priority projects to benefit.
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in which he said that he had earlier mistakenly noted that the Mambilla Power project was one of five priority projects to benefit from the $311 million Abacha loot under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Shehu said; “That error is regretted”.
The Presidential spokesman explained that although the Mambilla and East-West expressway are regarded under the PIDF as priority projects, he has ascertained that they are exempted from the agreement signed between the Nigerian, United States and British territory of Jersey governments.
Shehu further said; “According to the document, only the second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, and Lagos-Ibadan expressway will benefit from the repatriated funds. The funds are domiciled in the NSIA.”
He urged the media including online media to take note of his correction and make the necessary adjustments to their previous publications on the issue.
