Professor Kamene Okonjo, the mother of Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala might have regained freedom from her abductors, but her daughter has now accused indicted petroleum products marketers of masterminding the abduction that saw the woman spend days in the kidnappers’ hideout.
Speaking on Monday, Okonjo-Iweala refused to mention any particular indicted person over the incident but revealed that investigations into the abduction and release of her mother had commenced. She said mentioning any name will have negative impact on the successful outcome of the investigation.
“I can’t give all the details because we don’t want to compromise ongoing investigations,” she stated.
The minister described the five days that her 83-year old mother spent with the kidnappers as tortuous both physically and mentally, saying her mother was made to pass through mental and psychological torture while with the abductors.
“Apart from the emotional trauma of being violently taken away from her family and kept incommunicado for five days in a strange environment, a woman of 83 years was left without food for five days.
“While she was in their custody, the kidnappers spent much of the time harassing her. They told her that I must get on the radio and television and announce my resignation. When she asked why, they told her it was because I did not pay ‘oil subsidy money. They also told my mother that I blocked payment of money to certain components of the SURE-P programme.” She described the allegations as all false.
Speaking further, she said, “in the case of payment for oil subsidy money, we have been paying marketers who have been verified by Aig Imoukhuede Committee that their transactions are clean. We have done that and will continue to do that.
“For marketers whose transactions are proven to be fraudulent, the position of the Jonathan government is also clear: we cannot and we will not pay. We will not back down on this. We will continue to stand firm. I think this is what Nigerians want.
“Nigerians want that only honest people who have been doing transactions are paid and we have been doing that. Those transactions that have not been verified, or where it is showing that the marketers are owing government money, the government position is that we would not be able to pay.”
She added that the SURE-P programme does not follow the same principles as being used in other areas of government work, so its operation is beyond the control of her office.
She refused to state if the family actually paid a ransom to the kidnappers but said that it was a miracle that her mother was still alive after the incident.
“My mother really suffered so when I say that God has performed a miracle, you can understand what I mean. She was taken away and kept for five days without food or water and for an 83-year old woman it’s a miracle.
“She came back to us and she is alive and doing well. My father, the Obi of Ogwashi Uku, Professor Okonjo and my mother want to use this medium to express their sincere thanks to Nigerians and gratitude to Almighty God that she came out of this ordeal.
“While she was there, she kept asking what the kidnap was all about, and they told her that her daughter did not pay oil subsidy money and was also blocking payment of certain parts of the SURE-Programme. Those were the two things that were said.”
The minister again thanked Nigerians for rallying round the family and engaging in prayer sections during the period.
