| Andy Uba is President Obasanjo's senior aide in charge of special duties.
Local newspapers in Nigeria broke the story of his money-laundering escapades in Portland, Oregon this morning.
Uba also wants to run as governor of the Eastern state of Anambra.
By the way, Ribadu is being economical with the truth regarding Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The President does not want his deputy to succeed him (which is most likely in a free and fair election), and has been seeking ways to ensure that he (President) has his way, including using Ribadu to settle political scores.
Atiku became an implacable foe of his boss from the day he turned his back on the President's plan to amend the constitution in order to continue in office beyond two terms - a typically African disease.
Why do I say that Ribadu is economical with the truth? Ribadu's report on the Vice President insinuates that it is a crime to place idle government funds in a bank at commercial interest rates - a common practice among government agencies. The report labels Atiku (that's the VP) as a criminal because two of his political friends borrowed money from the banks holding the funds. Ironically, one of the debtors in question fully repaid with interest. The other has not been able to do so, possibly because part of the money is with Jefferson/iGate who promised but defaulted in providing high-speed wireless internet technology to the Nigerian company. The Nigerian had wriiten a petition to President Obasanjo, complaining about Jefferson and his refusal to refund the $6.5million when the deal which he brokered fell through. Jefferson, in turn, wrote to Obasanjo, insinuating that the money in question may have come from the fund that was borrowed since it issued from the bank where the funds were placed!
It is a case full of ironies. Ribadu is strutting the globe selling half-truths, while Jefferson and his iGate partners are still holding on to the the $6.5million in question (not $23million as Ribadu claims). No one in Nigeria is bothing them - they are only after ensuring that Atiku does not become President!
Nigeria, my country, is an interesting study; one has to read between the lines to be able to make sense out of the serial mischief that passes as authority statements everyday.
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