Chief Martin Onovo, the 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), has expressed doubts over the revelation that the Federal Government owes the late Chief Moshood Abiola N45billion for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT).
Speaking with Sunday Independent in Lagos, Chief Onovo, currently the Head, Policy Positions, Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), noted that Chief Abiola died over 30 years ago.
He stressed: “This may be a corrupt move to divert some funds considering that the purported beneficiary died many years ago.
“Also, the current regime lacks credibility and has lost public trust. Can we believe a corrupt regime that lacks credibility?
“We are not aware that Abiola ever made such claims. We must insist on the highest levels of scrutiny and transparency.
“We must know what contracts, verify the contract agreements and contract prices. We must confirm completion status and all payments previously made to determine if such a debt is authentic.
“We must also confirm to what accounts the debt payment is to be made and the signatories of the account.
“We must insist on the highest levels of scrutiny and transparency.”
It would be recalled that former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, had urged President Bola Tinubu to pay the N45 billion allegedly owed to the late Chief MKO Abiola by the Federal Government.
Lamido made the appeal in Abuja last Tuesday during the public presentation of his autobiography, ‘Being True to Myself’.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Gombe State governor, Inuwa Yahaya; former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and other notable figures.
In his reaction, Hon. John Okoro Kome, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Lagos, told Sunday Independent: “I am more interested in Nigeria’s current problems and crisis, thinking of ways of getting the country out of her social-political mess.
“Whatever the Federal Government owes MKO Abiola, to me, is a crucial unwanted distraction from the current condition and reality of Nigeria.