Others were not so impressed that he exceeded the financial mandate for political expenses. And when they moved against him, his political muscle was not strong enough to stave off the PDP hawks that wanted him thrown out for what was considered his overbearing attitude, which they claimed also contributed to the party’s loss during the last elections. But fresh details in Abuja are showing that in addition to the N263m he doled out on the orders of the former President, he also told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he gave an additional N25m to former Sokoto Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, and N35m to local government officials from Katsina State. There are those who believe that many of the out-of-pocket expenses were not captured in his letter, hoping that someday the hidden beneficiaries will be revealed. A knowledgeable source, who is optimistic as the grilling session of interested parties continues, said, “we will know the source of some of these personal monies spent and not captured, and whether indeed they are personal funds intended to yield dividends, if former President Jonathan had won.” He added that those whining today that the sitting president is a beneficiary of such ‘personal investments’ in his victory should write their own petitions for the EFCC to investigate. But those whose names are in the public domain may have to explain to the anti-graft agency, as investigations continue into the alleged misappropriation of $2.1bn meant for arms to fight insurgency in the north-east of the country. Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains and one All Progressives Congress (APC) bigwig have been detained and questioned over their involvement in the scandal, which the PDP says is a targeted political witch-hunt. A source conversant with the letter from Chief Anenih, explaining the N260m allegedly given to him from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, disclosed at the weekend that in the letter to the EFCC, Anenih also listed some out-of-pocket disbursements he made on the instructions of the former president to include: N25m to the former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muktari Shagari and N35m to a delegation of local government leaders from Katsina State. Other disclosures in the letter, according to the source are: “That Anenih…indicated in the letter the fact that on the instruction of the former president, the BoT then under his chair, embarked on a nationwide tour to reconcile aggrieved and feuding members and that the money he spent on hiring private jets during the tour was also part of the money he spent that was not refunded to him. “He pointed out in the letter that in spite of his selfless effort, commitment to stabilise the party and its leadership and to ensure post-election peace, he was pressurised to resign as BoT chair on trumped-up charges of anti-party activities and alleged overbearing influence. “Although most of the expenditures, as learnt, were on the instructions of the former President Jonathan for special political assignments, only N260m was refunded to Anenih by the former president, leaving a balance of over N180m as bad debt.” He was said to have further explained that whereas the refund of N260m was made through the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), sources close to the development hinted that Anenih explained in his letter to the EFCC that he only provided his account details to the former president on request for a refund of the money spent. “He stated in the letter that he was not in a position to ask the former president how he was going to source the fund or through which office the refund was going to be made. “He added that he was not a direct beneficiary of the sum of N260 million that was a part refund of the money he spent on the president’s instructions.” Of the N260m, which Anenih allegedly received from Dasuki, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, has admitted getting N100m from the PDP chieftain, just as the Accord Party admitted getting the same sum from him to prosecute the last presidential elections. A former political adviser to former President Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, also confirmed getting N63 million from Anenih for political advocacy in the north.]]>