United Nations grants: Malami reacts to viral social media message

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has denied his alleged involvement in the disbursement of grants from the United Nations.

Malami, in a statement that was signed by his media aide, Dr. Umaru Gwandu, said his attention was drawn to a viral Social Media message on “the so-called disbursement of UN grants”.

He described the circulating message as the handiwork of people bent on tarnishing his public image.

Malami explained that though he is a member of the Executive Council of the Federal Government, his office is not connected with such an international program.

“We have noticed that the aim of the message was crowd-sourcing to persuade the gullible public to perpetuate an attempt by agents of blackmail, merchant of acrimony and peddlers of falsehood and hatred to reincarnate for the umpteenth time their vituperation to bring the name of Abubakar Malami and the office of Honourable Attorney General of the Federation into disrepute.

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“We deem it pertinent to put the record straight. We want to make it unambiguously clear that neither in his individual capacity nor as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, does Abubakar Malami, SAN, CON, have any link with the so-called United Nations Grant. He does not have any inkling as to what they were referring to and could not in any way stoop so low to hijack such a process which at any rate was not part of his constitutional mandate.

“If the grant is ‘given to Nigerians by the United Nations’ as claimed by the writer of the message, one wonders how could a member of the Executive Council of the Federal Government who is not in any way connected with such ‘international progra’ scuttle or serve as an encumbrance to what is supposed to be laid down internationally recognised processes and procedures.

“We would appreciate it if the names of the individuals and personalities mentioned in the write up including the alleged signatory could: Voice out personal testimonies as to who was the Malami they were referring to?

“It is evident the ulterior motive of the writer of the message was to garner public support in a morbid attempt, groping to ridicule Nigeria’s pristine image.

“The demand that Nigeria be sanctioned is not only laughable but demonstrates the shallow mindset and intellectual superficiality of the writer who appears to be bereft of ideas and apparently ignorant of international processes and procedures of financial engagements between nations and financial institutions and organizations.