Okupe: I used N10m out of Dasuki’s N100m to furnish my apartment

Doyin Okupe, former senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has revealed that he used N10 million out of the N100 million he collected from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), to furnish his apartment.

He explained that the N100 million was paid in two tranches, saying Jonathan authorized Dasuki to pay him N50 million from the former president’s security vote.

Okupe said he received the N50 million balance after he told Jonathan that his monthly allocation had been cut from N10 million to N5 million.

He said he chose to make clarifications based on reports in circulation that he was involved in N162million and N85million fraud.

“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 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 former presidential aide also gave a breakdown of money spent on pro-Jonathan campaigns on the network of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Okupe also criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for releasing sensitive information about his health to the media without his consent.

He said while he decided to confide in the anti-graft agency, the commission chose to embarrass him.

“Without clearance or authorization by me this information was revealed to the media. I woke up to hear it on radio broadcast nationwide and was published in many newspapers,” he said.

“This is a sad development and a definite breach of the confidence I reposed on the commission as an institution of government.

“I was born with sinus bradycadia, a non-disease based slowness of the heart. It precluded me from vigorous exercise from childhood but I have by God’s grace been able to live a normal and active life.

“With age the slowness grew worse and life threatening. I sought medical help and went through a procedure at the Arrhythmia Cardiac Research Centre in Atlanta, where this defect was corrected. It was just a year ago and I am still under satellite monitor from the USA. This is what I revealed to the EFCC and they made it a public issue.”