Following Wednesday’s protest by the Anti-Corruption Network led by a former member of House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, security has been beefed up around the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Onkonjo-Iweala.
Also, more security operatives have been detailed to protect the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.
When DailyPost on Friday visited the building located in the Central Business District, there was a heavy presence of security personnel drawn from the Department of State Security, the Army and the Police.
A staff who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the government approved extra security for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala after she raised an alarm that the indicted oil barons were intimidating her.
The Minister in an interview said, “We don’t pay road contractors in the Ministry. Ministries that award contracts pay their contractors so anyone who says that we pay contractors is ignorant of the system.
“Dino and his group are sponsored. I have it on good authority that the demonstrators, numbering about 20 were paid N3,000 and a T-shirt by indicted oil barons in the subsidy probe to try to harass me but they have failed.
“They are trying to intimidate me but I won’t allow it. I will not take it. They don’t want me to clean up the system as we are doing in the ministry. You can quote me that they will not succeed in silencing me, no matter their antics.”
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala had come under pressure after the release of lists of various companies indicted in the oil subsidy scam.
Kommentarer