2015: Atiku Acquires $2.5 Million Private Jet For Presidential Campaign …Lobby Northern Elders, Groups

Source: pointblanknews.com

In preparation for the 2015 Presidential elections, former Vice

Presidential Atiku Abubakar is building a war chest and has allegedly

leased a $2.5 Million Jet for his campaign, several credible sources told

Pointblanknews.com.
Pointblanknews.com could not confirm which of the private Jet companies

between Hanger8, Kings Airlines, Top Brazz Aviation, Wings Aviation,

Overland Airways, Arik Air, Vistajet and Aero Contractors leased out its

jet to Atiku.
According to a Punch Newspaper findings, Nigerians, notably public office

holders and businessmen, spent about N29.7bn on charter flights in 2012.

The 50-Seater Jet according to one of the source close to the former Vice

President is to be used in touring States for consultations and campaigns

ahead of the Presidential elections.
The APC may pick its Presidential candidate from the North-East and Atiku

from Adamawa State is highly favored having allegedly received a tacit

endorsement from former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Already, some Northern Politicians have been drafted to begin

consultations and mobilization of Northern elders to accept his candidacy.

Arewa Consultative Forum, the apex Northern group is said to be neck-deep

in plot to have Atiku.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Atiku is hinging his candidacy on the

premise that the North did not conclude its eight-year tenure, which was

terminated following the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

It was gathered that the former Vice president has also hired the services

of several consultants to help design and fashion out the best campaign

strategy to be adopted.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Atiku, a very wealthy Politician,

whose daily income from Intel and other businesses are said to be in high

millions, is not leaving any stone unturned in his quest to win the 2015

Presidential elections.
Atiku's wealth is immeasurable. He served in the Nigeria Customs for 20

years retiring in 1989 as a Deputy Director. A close aide of the former

Vice President said he owns more than 180 homes in Yola, capital of

Adamawa State. His businesses are said to be in several areas such as: Oil

Services, Education, Real Estate and Agriculture.
A presentation made by the by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Nigerian Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the

Probe of the PTDF in 2007 said: “Atiku Abukakar is the Vice President of

Nigeria and he was the one overseeing the activities of the PTDF. He

inaugurated the Interim Management Committee of the Fund in September

2000.He played prominent roles in the approvals for release of PTDF funds

and their placement in two banks. “
“The VP had an outstanding interest in the placement of the PTDF funds in

these two banks. For one, even the $125 million for the implantation of

some specific projects was not utilized for that purpose, rather because

of their diversion to their placements in the two banks (TIB & ETB).

Prior to the placements of the PTDF funds, the Vice President held several

meetings with either the ES (Executive Secretary of the PTDF) alone and

sometime the ES and Mike Adenuga to discuss modalities regarding the

placement of the funds either in TIB or ETB. The placements were done at

the detriment of the Fund as they were made at interest rates below the

average CBN Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) even when he was strongly

advised against that.”
“The request for the release of the $20 million, was predicated on the

issue of the ongoing projects being executed by the Fund, whereas it was

not so. The funds were released again by the VP and were sent straight to

the same placement in TIB.”
“This second release according to reports was done without the knowledge

and approval of the President and the FEC, even though the President's own

pattern of management of the Petroleum Resources ministry pointed to the

fact that both the VP and the President might have shared. As these funds

were hitting the two preferred banks, “loans” were packaged by TIB, even

without adequate collateral, for his long time friend and business

associate, Otunba Oluwole Johnson Haliru Fasawe through NDTV and Mofas.

In Mofas, one of the directors is Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, a son of the VP.

Through the VP's name was not stated as a director of Marine Float,

evidence abounds that the account is controlled by him. First, the VP

admitted he paid N30million for the property from that account; secondly,

most of the beneficiaries from the account are his friends, associates.

“Similarly, as the funds were hitting ETB, Otunba Mike Adenuga made

$20million deposit for Globacom license, the second national carrier. A

little scrutiny of the equity ownership structure of the company revealed

that Otunba Mike Adenuga lied about the ownership of the company.

“When the transfer of the $50million by PTDF from its account in UBA Plc

New York was made in ETB, Mike Adenuga gave the Vice President the sum of

N322million (i.e. N300m on 27/11/02 & N22 on 06/03/03) through his Marine

Float account domiciled in Bank PHB Plc through his aides- Akinyera and

Ajibade. N21 million was paid to the VP through a draft raised in the

name of Umar Pariya, his Personal Assistant.”
“The Vice President held several meeting with the US Congressman Williams

J. Jefferson both in Nigeria and abroad in relation to business ventures,

which included NDTV and Rosecom.net, an ISP. When the business

relationship between NDTV and iGate collapsed, his assistance was sought

to extinguish the outstanding approximately $2million already paid by

NDTV. Even though he denied assistance on extinguishing the amount, he

accepted, conveying a letter from US Congressman Jefferson to the

Honorable Minister of Communication Chief Cornelius Adebayo in relation

with iGate and Rosecom.net business venture.”
“The VP's business interest in NDTV was confirmed when he made an initial

deposit of N30million in January 1, 2003 from his Marine Float account in

Bank PHB Plc for the purchase of the N200million property being used as

NDTV Head Office. His interest also influenced the placement of PTDF

funds in TIB from where Otunba Fasawe obtained “loan” and completed the

payment of N170million for the property at the Wuse. The VP's interest in

NDTV is further buttressed by the fact that he even acted as a referee to

Otunba Fasawe for the sourcing of the licensing of NDTV in Nigeria

Communication Commission (NCC). Investigation also revealed that the Vice

President severally met contractors of NDTV at Jada, his hometown on his

interest in the company.”
The EFCC's report on the probe of the PTDF which heavily indicted the

former Vice president and the Halliburton Scandal which accused Atiku's

Intel of bribing Nigerian officials with $50 Million have all remained in

the dustbin of the investigating agencies.