THE Presidency on Saturday rejected allegation of obtaining bribe to award contract levelled by an individual against the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.
Media reports had suggested that the presidential aide took a bribe of N29 million to award a vehicle supply contract but cornered the payment rather than remit it to the contractor.
But in a reaction, the Presidency said in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the president, in Abuja, noted that it took strong offence to the improbable and outlandish publication.
The statement said: “We wish to state with full authority that the allegation is wrong and the Chief of Staff did not have any private meetings with the person making those allegations.
“What is even more surprising is the decision by the newspaper to run the cooked up lies despite obvious loopholes in the story, such as the Bureau of Public Procurement’s denial that a major source for the story was a member of their staff. With a slew of crucial elections ahead, some politicians and their media agents appear to be working together to build pressure on the Buhari administration by wielding non-existent scandals against it.
“We equally note that the supply of 15 Hilux vehicles for the Presidency was an unlikely contract to have been awarded, as it did not exist anywhere in the 2016 and 2017 budgets.
“Checking the appropriation for 2016 and 2017, that request is not even there. How could Abba Kyari have asked for money to award a contract that did not exist anywhere at all?
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“In addition to that, the amount allegedly given in bribe was also suspicious, as the office of the presidential aide had been known in the past to receive imprest of 200 million naira and above every month, with no one expected to give account.
“It was only since Abba Kyari occupied that position that things changed.
“In blunt terms, it is difficult to make a case of N29 million bribery against an official who spurned a monthly payment of N200 million to his office, money for which he didn’t need to account to anyone.
“Once again, we wish to caution against the media’s haste to publish unverified accusations against government officials simply for the sensationalism value, without journalists doing the due diligence required of them by their profession.”
The statement said a national daily that published the story was notified of the various falsehoods contained in the allegations but still went ahead to publish the weak accusations, adding: “They should be prepared to face Abba Kyari in court.”
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That is the corruption fighting back in buhari administration he was referring to…. So who is corrupt them or who? Useless buhari govt.
Corruption is not only stealing public funds but ethnic chauvinism, religious bigotry, favouritism, nepotism, deceit,injustice, inequality and impunity.Stolen funds can be recovered and replaced but the destroyed psyche of a nation can never be restored easily. The Buhari presidency perpetuated and personified the latter as against the former and that is not to say public funds are not stolen under his current regime, It is by few cabals. Buhari should go and rest because he is the most clueless and worst president Nigeria ever had. The earlier we tell this generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations that Buhari’s incursion into politics has caused more damage than good to our polity and noble democracy, the better for the bright future of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Presidency should allow efcc to do their work and not defend?
They are just entartaining kwaraption simple