Okonjo-Iweala Reacts To N17bn ‘Bribe Charge’, Says Gbajabiamila, Others Playing ‘Usual Cynical Games’

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has described Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as “mischief maker” trying to twist her statement.

The ex-minister, in a statement on Sunday, was reacting to claims by the lawmaker alleging that that she accused the National Assembly, led by its then leadership, of insisting on a “N17 billion bribe” to pass the 2015 Budget aside their N150 billion annual budget.

Okonjo-Iweala had written in her book, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’ that the lawmakers increased the 2015 budget by N17billion before it was passed.

Gbajabiamila, the minority leader in the 7th Assembly, said lawmakers had a running battle with Okonjo-Iweala and her aides over the budget because they fused in their own projects to the detriment of some lawmakers.

But reacting today, Okonjo-Iweala accused the lawmaker of misinterpreting her statement, adding that he is just playing his “usual cynical games”.

She said: “It has come to my attention that mischief makers are again trying to distort what is written in my book, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: the Story Behind the Headlines’, for their own political purposes.

“One more time, It is important that people read the book for themselves. In the case of the N17billion, the book does not talk of bribe. It indicates that lawmakers increased the budget by N17billion and we had to accept that to move on; hence, the term “price to pay”.

“The reason for discussing what happened is that this approach needs to change. The country must clear up and clarify its budget process for the future to improve. Those like Hon Gbajabiamiala trying to introduce lies that myself and my aides put in our own projects and lawmakers were fighting with me on that basis are playing their usual cynical games and Nigerians are tired of that!

“Lies obscure the country’s problems and do not allow us to improve. There were and there still are politicians in the National Assembly trying to do the right thing. The book also points that out. Such well-meaning legislators should not allow their strident colleagues to twist matters and divert attention from the need to improve the country’s budget process so our young people can see a better side of their country.”