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N17bn: Mischief makers trying to distort my book – Okonjo-Iweala

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6 years ago

May 28, 2018

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Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala has accused some politicians of twisting her words for political gains.

Okonjo- Iweala made the comment on tweeter handle following a comment by Yusuf Galambi, a former member of the House of Representatives, that the former minister accused lawmakers of asking for a bribe to pass the 2015 budget in her recently published book- ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’

Speaking with journalists on Sunday, Galambi, who represented Gwaram federal constituency in Jigawa state, said: “I was a member of the appropriation committee in 2015 and to my belief and knowledge, I am unaware of any single kobo given to any member during the said period to facilitate passage of 2015 budget.

Reacting to the misunderstanding via her Twitter handle, monitored by National Daily, Okonjo-Iweala said rather than reporting the facts contained in the book, “mischief makers are trying to distort” what is written in it.

She said her published account was misconstrued by many, one of whom is Galambi, who served as a member of the appropriation committees in 2015.

She said the N17 billion in question was an additional fund added to the lawmakers’ budget and not a bribe.

Okonjo-Iweala wrote: “In the case of the N17billion, the book does not talk of bribe. It indicates that lawmakers increased the budget by N17 billion 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.”