Okupe: I received monthly payment from Dasuki

Doyin Okupe, former senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has disclosed that he received monthly payment for the running of his office from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser.

Okupe said this while trying to distance himself from the controversy surrounding the alleged abuse of the money meant for the procurement of arms under the last administration.

“I was not paid arms deal money. The NSA paid for the running of my office monthly from August 2012. Dasukigate was in 2014. I did not take part in the campaign,” he wrote on Twitter.

In January, it was reported that Okupe benefitted from the arms deal through some contracts which Dasuki awarded to one Romix Technologies, which Okupe had interest in.

But he denied the allegation, saying he never got along with the former NSA, whom he accused of scheming him out of Jonathan’s reelection campaign.

“Unknown to many Nigerians, and quite usual with politics at the top, for reasons not clearly defined, I never got along well with colonel Dasuki retired,” he had said in a statement.

“In fact, he twice told me to my face that he will get Alhaji Gulak and myself out of former president Jonathan’s administration. Colonel Dasuki would never have patronised me or any associate of mine. It was for this reason I was totally schemed out from the entire presidential campaign in 2015.

“Romix Technologies is an offshore company registered in Cyprus. I am not the owner, I have no relationship with it neither do I have any financial interest. I had no knowledge of their bidding for contracts from the office of the National Security Adviser, I was not informed when they were awarded any contract neither was I in the know of what and when they were paid. I have not benefited financially from the proceeds of payment for the said contract neither can any money be traced to me, or any of my family members or associates.”

Dasuki has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since October when he was arrested over the arms deal.