A former Accounts and Finance Director in the Nigerian Airforce, Salisu Abdullahi has told a Federal High Court in Abuja how he rejected a monthly largesse of N120m allocated to his office and turned same over to then Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh for 39 months.
Testifying as a prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, , Abdullahi told the court that the monthly salary for the Airforce at the time was N4 billion with N558 million set aside for the general administration of the chief of staff’s office.
“We receive about N4bn monthly for the payment of salaries. Our total wage bill, when I was finance director, was above N2 b. The balance of the money for personnel emolument was about N1.7 b. The sum of N558m was earmarked for the general administration of the chief of staff’s office monthly. The balance is proposed for disbursement to the units. In most cases the Chief of Air Staff directs that the amount be exchanged into US dollars and taken to the headquarters Nigeria Air Force camp.
“When this money is exchanged it is brought to me, and I take this money to the Chief Air Staff at home- his official residence at Niger Barracks. As military officers we don’t request for any acknowledgment. In some cases, I do tell the finance officer to meet me at air house at Niger barracks with the money so that he can see when I hand over the money to the Chief of Air Staff. The instruction to convert the money to dollar was not in writing. The Chief of Air Staff gives many instructions that are not in writing. The instructions in writing are those requests forwarded to his office from the branches. When I came I met N120m earmarked for the office of the director of finance. It was part of the balance of personnel emolument released monthly. But I rejected it. I asked that the money be placed under the control of the Chief of Air Staff for tours and visits, and other sundry issues,” he said.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment