Lai Mohammed Slams Atiku On Collapse Of Bank PHB

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, says the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has questions to answer regarding his involvement in the collapse of the former Bank PHB.

According to the information minister, there’s fresh evidence that on January 13, 2009, Mr Abubakar was issued a check of 156 million Naira from the bank.

Mr Mohammed told journalists on Friday that while the EFCC may not go after Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate should be ready to provide answers to Nigerians as soon as he gets back.

His comments come less than 24 hours after the PDP candidate arrived in the United States with the DG of the party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

The minister said, “In any event, anytime Alhaji Atiku Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have, that he benefitted from the slush funds that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.

“The paper trail which we have here shows that he benefitted to the tune of 156 million Naira from that slush fund and we have evidence here of the account mandate in the name of Atiku Abubakar, we also have a copy of the check in which the sum of N156 million was issued to Atiku Abubakar dated the 13th of January 2009 and of course we also have the statement of account within that period that confirms that this sum was actually paid into his account”.

In reaction, the information minister said the present administration is not perturbed that he was able to secure a visa to the country.

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He said Atiku could go ahead and obtain a green card but that would not save him from defeat in the forthcoming general elections.

“We are not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was able to secure a visa to go to the US.

“As a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US green card. That will not save him from the imminent defeat in the forth-coming elections.

“We don’t need to remind Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that the elections will be held here in Nigeria and not in the US,” the minister said.

In a swift response, however, Atiku in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, dismissed the allegation, describing it as a “cock and bull story”.

He also asked the Federal Government to bury its head in shame having failed to stop him from traveling to the US.

Furthermore, he stated that with or without a trip to the US, the PDP will dislodge the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari during next month’s election.

…CTV