Nigerian media mogul, the founder of Nigerian based African newspaper THISDAY, Chief Nduka Obaigbena, yesterday, wrote from abroad on his involvement in the controversial arms deal scandal for which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited him to clarify his role.
In a letter to the EFCC dated December 30, 2015, Obaigbena insisted that the total sum of N670 million received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) through one of his companies, Hydrocarbons Ltd, was compensation paid by the federal government for the terrorist attack on his newspaper company and to members of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) over the military clampdown on newspapers.
As stated by him, N550 million went to his company as compensation for the attack by Boko Haram, while N120 million was meant to be shared by 12 members of NPAN for the loss they suffered when the military clamped down on circulation of newspapers during the last administration.
Obaigbena’s letter contained what he believed would be answers to nine probing questions the EFCC might ask him if he visits the Commission’s office.
In his letter, which was in the question-and-answer format, the Delta State-born publisher stated the compensation he received on behalf of his company and the newspaper proprietors through one of his companies’ account was nothing new, pointing out that the Nigerian Guild of Editors and United Nations Office in Abuja also received similar assistance and compensation from the Office of the NSA.
“We never participated in any arms purchase in any shape or form and only demanded compensation for a horrendous terrorist act against us,” he stated.
“In the same way, the United Nations and others who may have received some compensation could not have known the line budget items for the funds being used for the reconstruction of the UN Abuja buildings. Even the Nigerian Guild of Editors, which may have received donations for their secretariat from the ONSA, could not have known which budget subhead it was paid from."
Obaigbena explained that the federal government insisted that it did not want to set a bad precedence by paying This Day directly; instead, the ONSA forced him to collect cash using an account that was not linked to ThisDay and NPAN by name.
“We do not know and cannot determine why and how security and intelligence agencies classify their payments in whatever manner they do. General Hydrocarbons Ltd did not engage in ‘energy consultancy’ – whatever that means – with the federal government and or ONSA,” he stated.
He further explained that his company simply acted as agency collecting approved payments for and on behalf of THISDAY Newspapers Group and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) – to which the newspapers group belongs.
“President Goodluck Jonathan made it clear at the beginning that he did not want to create a precedent by paying THISDAY compensation given that we had several victims of Boko Haram bombings around the country,” he stated.
“Once payment was approved for the reconstruction of the UN Buildings in Abuja, the continued refusal or reluctance to pay us became tenuous as we were the next institution to be so bombed after the UN and Police Headquarters buildings, which were then being reconstructed by the federal government.
“So when the ONSA stated that they had approval to pay us, but would rather not set a precedent by paying THISDAY directly, we nominated a member company of the THISDAY Newspapers Group, called General Hydrocarbons Ltd., to receive the payments on behalf of the group of companies, given that the assets of General Hydrocarbons Ltd – mainly generators – were also destroyed in the bombings.”
General Hydrocarbon Ltd, he asserted, had never dealt with the ONSA on anything concerning contract; neither did he and other beneficiaries know the money they received was coming from funds meant to procure arms for soldiers.
“The NPAN and, indeed, THISDAY Newspapers and/or even General Hydrocarbons Ltd could not have known which budget head payments ordered by The Presidency through the ONSA came from, given that security and intelligence agencies have several payment conventions unknown to the public.
On how the money was disbursed and spent, Chief Obaigbena, stated he used the N550 million compensation for his company to “defray some 30% of the N1.7billion we already paid to 3rd party printers for services in lieu of the Abuja press…”, while the N120 million was shared N9 million each by the 12 newspaper proprietors, who all agreed to drop a million each for secretariat services.
He argued that being a victim of terrorists attack who do not need for victimization that might subject him to the mockery of the terrorists, the This Day publisher reiterated that “there is simply no nexus between payments made for compensation, to us victims of terrorism as well as to newspapers in compensation for an unprovoked attack on free speech, and any arms purchase budget.
“It will be of interest to have a full and complete list of all payments made by the ONSA between 2014 and 2015, to make an informed determination and to understand what happened to the over N70 billion arms budget allotted to the Ministry of Defence for armament”.