Car Bribe: Malami speaks out

Justice Minister Abubakar Malami has spoken out on the vehicles given to some of his associates in the Khadmiyya Foudation which he owns in Kebbi.

The gifts sparked different reactions, leading Umar Gwandu, Malami’s spokesman, to deny the allegations his boss contesting the state’s governorship was bribing party officials with the gifts.

In an interactive session with journalists in Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi, on Tuesday, Malami himself clarified issues.

“At this moment, I have experienced a barrage of attacks, left, right and centre, some are local and others international, an attack that has to do with an allegation that I shared many expensive vehicles to delegates of APC,” he said

“As a person with some associates, neither I nor a friend of mine shared any vehicle to any delegate across the state.”

According to him, the report is mischievous.

“Let me state categorically that some of the foundations, as Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative I am associated with over time, have workers who have demonstrated a greater capacity in the development of the state.

“These associations have contributed immensely in poverty alleviation, provision of social amenities to remotest areas, empowering unemployed youth and women, as well as small and medium-scale farmers and businessmen and women, among others, in the state.

“In appreciation of what the workers of the associations have been doing in the state and beyond, the supporters of the associations, collectively and individually, decided to solicit support from well-meaning Nigerians that have been supporting the NGOs in order to reward those that have been manning the affairs of the NGOs,” he said.

Malami explained that it was his friends and associates who donated and distributed vehicles to long-term workers in the Khadimiyya Foundation.

“I know I had an interactive session with APC stakeholders some days ago and had accepted calls from Kebbi people to run for the state governorship; the meeting was not for distribution of vehicles to any APC stakeholder.

“None of the APC stakeholders or delegates in Kebbi State was given any vehicle by me, and I have not yet donated any vehicle to any delegate.

“The mischief-makers can contact the National Secretariat of the APC, get the lists of all the APC stakeholders and delegates in Kebbi State.

“You too can do an investigative story to reach out to them, then you will realise how fictitious the claim is.

“There is no connection between the names of APC stakeholders and the beneficiaries of the vehicles and are not connected whatsoever,” the minister pointed out.