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Sir Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), counsel to former Minister of Humanitarian Services, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has clarified the erroneous report doing the rounds about his client, saying that she did not shun the invitation extended to her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“I was at the headquarters of the Commission on Tuesday to submit a letter to that effect and to seek an extension of time (a shift in date) to enable my client, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, to make herself available at another opportune time to offer clarifications about activities of some agencies under the ministry she superintended in the immediate past administration.
“Although the EFCC has yet to send me a formal reply, the leadership availed us of its understanding, which resulted in parties amicably agreeing to have the interview originally scheduled for Wednesday (January 3, 2024) postponed to a time that the Commission would subsequently fix after looking through its schedules,” Sir Okpeseyi said in a chat with the media.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria took the opportunity of the chat to attack the impression being created in a section of the media that his client was being invited for alleged misappropriation of funds.
According to him: “That is not the case in this circumstance. She has been invited to offer clarifications into certain expenditures by some agencies under her ministry”.
EFCC CLEARS THE AIR ON THE SUBJECT MATTER.
The EFCC had said that the former minister did not shun its invitation.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
Oyewale noted that the former minister sent a letter that she couldn’t honor the invitation because she was indisposed [due to health challenges].
“It is true that she didn’t show up, but she sent a letter pleading for more time explaining that she had some health challenges.
“She didn’t shun EFCC’s invitation; she actually gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up.
Oyewale said the EFCC had considered her plea and expected that she would honor the invitation without further delay.
Oyewale further stated that the N37.1 billion being branded might not be a correct figure for the money misappropriated under the ministry.
He said: “On the figure that is being branded, I cannot categorically confirm the figure because it is an ongoing thing. We are still tracing all the transactions here and there; it may be more than that.
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