A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, on Monday explained his role in the controversial N500 million bank loan which he joined others to obtain for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, had accused Gana of unilaterally collecting the loan on behalf of the party without approval, threatening to drag the professor before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning.
But Gana, responding to questions on Monday, said it was the leadership of the party at the time that mandated him to source for funds to enable the party organise fund raising dinner and other activities for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign.
He said, “As chairman of the fund raising committee, I was mandate by the party leadership to raise funds and I had the party’s National Financial Secretary and others as members.
“The then National Working Committee was briefed and we were given the go ahead to obtain the loan on behalf of the party, with the agreement to pay back from the money expected to be realised from the fund raising.
“But after losing the election, leading to the resignation of the former chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu, the party leadership refused to pay back the money as earlier agreed.
“The issue of repayment was what led to the crisis and the bank has already taken the matter to court. The money was used by the committee for what it was meant for and account was dully rendered. The records are there. The fact is that I was not even a signatory to the account.”
Meanwhile, Sheriff had already apologised to Prof. Gana over the accusation, saying he never authorised his media aide that leveled the accusation to do so.
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