Tribune

December 8, 2003

Dollar Oil Windfall OBJ Summons Okigbo’s Widow
Olawale Rasheed, Abuja

FOLLOWING persistent request for the Okigbo Panel Report, President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the wife of late Pius Okigbo over the missing Okigbo Panel Report just as panel members who served with late Okigbo have been summoned by the Presidency.

The President was reportedly worried that the report which dwelt on the mismanagement and misappropriation of the 12 billion dollars Gulf war oil  windfall could not be traced in any of the government agencies including presidential archives.

The presidency was said to have even become more worried when a national newspaper wrote the president directly demanding for a copy of the report which allegedly indicted former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and some top officials of his administration.

Saturday Tribune learnt that the president later decided to write the wife of late Dr. Okigbo, asking her to search her late husband’s archive for the copy of the report.

The reason  it was gathered, was that the wife should be able to assist the state even though the request was reportedly not couched in the form of a search warrant which could have compelled operatives to fish out the report from late Okigbo’s archive.

Aside the wife, ST also gathered that the Presidency has compiled the names of members who served on the Okigbo panel, seeking to demand for the report  from the members.

The president was said to have told his aides that if the wife  could not produce the report, the secretary of the panel as well as members of the group should be in possession of copies.

The sudden disappearance of the report from government’s archives was said to have elicited the curiosity of the president who reportedly wondered how such  an important report should be missing in all government departments and agencies.

“Everybody is worried.  For a report of 12 billion dollar to disappear without any trace, without any projects or programmes on which it was spent, is indeed curious.  That is why the president is interested in getting the report”, a top official  said.

Aside writing the late Okigbo’s wife and the panel members, ST was further informed that security operatives are now involved in the search while the Financial Crimes Commission is said to have stepped into the matter.

“If need be, the earnings and the spendings of the oil windfall may be re-opened, for even without the report.  The state can still trail the money and  those who spent it”, an official of the administration said.

The Gulf Oil windfall had generated controversies soon after the conclusion of the first Gulf War when the Financial Times of London wrote exclusive details on how the 12 billion dollars was allegedly misappropriated by the then military administration.

The Financial Times whose correspondent was deported  on account of the story alleged that the oil earnigs went into an escrow account to which only the then military president, General Babangida was the signatory.

The Okigbo panel report subsequently confirmed the indictment contained in the Financial Times report, pointedly asserting that only the Minna General was the signatory to the oil  windfal account and that the earnings did not enter government coffers and was not reflected in government budget.