Kidnappers quized my mother on subsidy payments'- Okonjo Iweala

Kidnappers quized my mother on subsidy payments'- Okonjo Iweala:

Below is what the Finance minister said while addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday regarding her 83 year old mother's abduction and subsequent release...

“I can’t give all the details because
we don’t want to compromise ongoing investigations. But I can tell you
one thing: my mother suffered a great deal during this ordeal. It was only the Almighty that rescued
her from a situation that could very easily have ended tragically. 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 said I had blocked payment of money to certain components of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme.”

“These statements are, of
course, not true. In the case of subsidy payments, we have been paying
all marketers whose claims have been verified by the Aig-Imoukhuede
Committee after going through the necessary processes.

“For marketers whose transactions are
proven to be fraudulent, the position of the Goodluck 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.”

“In the case of SURE-P, there
is a totally different process that I have no control over. This is the
right thing to do. And this, I believe is what the Nigerian people
want.”

“This experience has
strengthened my faith in the country. The outpouring of love from all
over the country has been simply overwhelming.”