Okupe, sundry payment, special services

The EFCC star witness in the Dr Okupe’s trial, Shuiabu Salisu, Director of Finance and Admin., Office of National Security Adviser, has said that he made monthly payments of N10m to Dr Okupe for “special services” from the budget of the office of the NSA; and therefore, Dr Okupe committed no crime by receiving the […]

The EFCC star witness in the Dr Okupe’s trial, Shuiabu Salisu, Director of Finance and Admin., Office of National Security Adviser, has said that he made monthly payments of N10m to Dr Okupe for “special services” from the budget of the office of the NSA; and therefore, Dr Okupe committed no crime by receiving the sundry payments on behalf of his office.

He further admitted that the office of the NSA finance department does not follow civil service rules and regulations. Hence, payments made to individuals and departments under the presidency does not require receipts or retirements.

He confirmed that all payments to Dr Okupe were after verbal instructions from the NSA and he was not aware of what the specific purposes were – and he was not at any time in the meetings between the NSA and Dr. Okupe to be able to know what the purposes of the payments were.

Under further cross-examination by one of Okupe’s Lawyers, Mr Tolu Babaleye, Alhaji Shuaibu Salisu, based on the evidence provided, agreed that the payments were to the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President and not Dr Okupe personally; as indicated in the payment vouchers.

Olufemi Salako, Abuja.