Documents used to pay election observers $6.2m not from my office, ex-SGF testifies against Emefiele

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday, appeared at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, and testified in the ongoing trial of ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele is standing trial before Justice Muazu on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretenses to the tune of $6,230,000.

He was accused of impersonating the SGF to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2m.

Appearing as Prosecution Witness 2, Mustapha said he knew nothing about the transaction up till the time he left office at the end of May 2023, adding that having served for five years and seven months, the document in contention didn’t emanate from the office of the then President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Monday, a First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Onyeka Ogbu, narrated how the ex-CBN governor approved the payment of $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in the 2023 general election.

Ogbu, the Deputy Director of Branch Operations at the apex bank, reviewed and approved the $6.2 million payment request for disbursement.

In court on Tuesday, the former SGF stated that all the time he served in government, he never heard of the term “Special Appropriation Provision”.

The two terms known to him are “Appropriation” and “Supplementary”.

Mustapha also said in all the correspondences he ever received from former President Buhari, he never concluded with “Please accept with my highest regard,” saying the signature was a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature.

According to Mustapha, the Federal Government has no business with the payment of foreign election observers. To him, the Federal Executive Council decisions are not transmitted by letters.