SAN FRANCISCO, February 21, (THEWILL) – Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, a former Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that all the actions he took in the performance of his duties were based on instructions handed down to him by Jonathan and his wife, Patience.
Dafuda made this known on Tuesday at the hearing in the N200m fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Patience against Skye Bank Plc and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to vacate a no debit order placed on her account containing $15.5 million in Skye bank.
While testifying before Justice Mohammed Idris, Dafuda declared that he had no power to issue instructions to anyone while in the villa saying he simply relayed different instructions from the President and his wife.
While being cross-examined by EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, Dudafa, said: “I know Festus Iyoha and Peter Avirim. They are Presidential stewards attached to the President. Several times, the former President and his wife gave me dollars for Festus, Peter and others to change to naira.
“As you know, I was a servant, a domestic assistant to the President. By virtue of my position, I never had power to give instructions. I could only relay instructions of the then President and his wife to any aide that was available, including Festus and Peter.
“I relayed different instructions from the President and his wife and the instruction can come in the form of ‘Dudafa, give this money to BDC, change it to dollars’. But if you say I did it, it was as if I did it on my own volition.
“Several times, the President and his wife gave me money, naira to exchange for dollars, which I relayed.
“It could be that the President was in his bedroom and said, ‘Dudafa, take this money, give it to Festus in the sitting room.’ It doesn’t mean I was the one who gave the money to Festus. What is the problem with relaying message? If by my position, I could enter the President’s bedroom, I don’t know how that becomes a problem.
“I was the only one that had access to the bedroom of the former President and if he gave me instructions, I had to carry them out. The physical handing over of the money was done by me though I was relaying an instruction.”
Dudafa also told the court that he was not aware that Patience was a Permanent Secretary in the employ of the Bayelsa State Government while he was serving in the Presidency insisting that it was not part of his schedule to know.
Further proceedings in the case have been adjourned till March 26, 2018.
