One-time Presidential Adviser in the Second Republic, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Wednesday owned up to collecting N53 million, part of the controversial arms deal fund, from the former Board of Trustee Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, but said he won’t refund a kobo as he had used it for the purpose it was intended for.
Chief Anenih had days back informed an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) interrogation team that N250 million he collected from the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki was shared to some senior Nigerian citizens, including Alhaji Yakasai, who got N63 million.
But the veteran politician quickly reacted in a series of interviews with journalists that the amount Chief Anenih gave him as fund for advocacy visit to top northern traditional leaders for the purpose of mobilizing citizens towards a hitch-free and peaceful 2015 election, was N53 million and not N63 million as the former PDP chieftain said in his confessional statement to EFCC.
The nanogenarian elder statesman said he would not join the bandwagon of Nigerians rushing to make refunds of their share of the so-called arms deal fund because he has not committed any crime, as far as he was concerned; insisting that the money he got did not go into his personal pocket.
“The question of whether I will refund the money does not arise here; it is like jumping the gun. At the first instance, nobody gave me money in my personal capacity…”.
He said he was handed the money with a specific assignment, which was to mobilise northern Nigerian chiefs and monarchs on the need for supporting peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections. He said his team, which consisted of nine notable Nigerian elders had carried out advocacy visits to many monarchs in the North, and had completed the “national assignment” as directed.
He said any form of invitation from the EFCC would not worry him.
“I have committed no crime…and like I said earlier, I am ready, at any given time, to respond to any invitation by the EFCC, because I am ready to clear my name”, he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari last week, precisely on the 30th of December, 2015 said during his maiden Presidential Media Chat that all those culpable evidence has proved they shared from the diverted arms deal fund would be made to make refunds, then prosecuted and jailed if found guilty.
-Leadership
