Okupe on arms ‘scandal’: My prosecutors shall stumble

Doyin Okupe, senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, says the Lord will see him through his ongoing trial with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency is investigating Okupe over funds he allegedly collected from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), during the electioneering campaign.

The commission invited him for questioning, and released him on health grounds.

Commenting on the criticisms that he has received since the trial began, Okupe said he would be vindicated in the end.

“On the arms scandal, the Lord is with me as mighty terrible one. Therefore my persecutors shall stumble and not prevail. They shall greatly be ashamed. Jeremiah 20:11,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Too many devilish paid character assassins on d prowl. What on earth do I have to do with arms scandal? The Counsel of the wicked shall not stand.”

On Arms scandal.D Lord is wt me as mighty teribble 1,there4 my persecutors shall stumble&not prevail.They shall greatly b ashamed. Jer 20:11

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— Doyin (@doyinokupe) July 21, 2016

2 many devilish paid character assassins on d prowl. What on earth do I HV to do wt arms scandal.? D Counsel of d wicked shall not stand.

— Doyin (@doyinokupe) July 21, 2016

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Earlier, while trying to give an account of N100 million, which he said he got from Dasuki, Okupe said he used N10 million to furnish his apartment.

“The initial N50m was approved by the president to be paid to me from his security vote. N10m was to furnish my rented living apartment and another N10m for my office. The balance N30m was approved as take-off grant,” he had said in a statement issued on Sunday.

“The N10m I received from the ONSA monthly was to run my office, pay salaries of staff, including overheads, pay expenses for our numerous press conferences, pay for publications in newspapers, magazines, local and foreign, television programmes, bulletins, and media consultants who assist and facilitate our work. I had about 23 staff, 11 were graduates out of which five were master’s degree holders.

“The second N50m was approved again by Mr. President when I reported to him that the monthly allowance had been cut from N10m to N5m and that I was no longer in position to keep running a one-hour NTA network programme called INSIGHT which was aired 9-10am every Friday.

“We paid NTA about N1.2m monthly for airtime. Two presenters were paid N600,000. We paid for tapes and editing per programme. Besides we also pay honorarium for guests either directly or in form of hotel bills for those outside Abuja, or transportation.

“This cost averagely N500,000 weekly or about N2m monthly. All in all we spend about N4m monthly on the programme. Mr. President promised to help with the expenses. About a few months later when we had incurred some debts the NSA sent me this N50m which was to cover the cost of the programme for 12 months.”