He told PREMIUM TIMES in an exclusive interview that he was offered the money after he rejected an initial $40 million offer.
Mr Fayemi, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said the fixers who approached him over the matter, also raised the offer to $80 million when they could not break his resistance with the initial $40million offer.
He said he similarly rejected the $80million offer in the interest of justice.
PREMIUM TIMES, in extensive reports on the matter, revealed how Mr Fayemi since taking over as the NGF Chairman has been making efforts to stop the planned payments, demanding a forensic audit to determine the legitimacy of the entire $418 million debts which translates to about N159 billion.
Our reports revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, along with the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, has been scrambling to have the purported creditors hurriedly paid, despite the red flags Mr Fayemi-led NGF, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), have raised against it.
A follow-up story later published by another media platform after our first report, however, accused Mr Fayemi of demanding 10 per cent of the total amount at stake to drop his objection to the payment.
The NGF denied the allegation, but PREMIUM TIMES went further to contact Mr Fayemi for his personal response to the allegation.
Responding to our enquiry, Mr Fayemi said the claim was being bandied around to smear him and blackmail him into submission.
“That allegation is not true. The allegation was sponsored to smear me and blackmail me to compromise my stand,” Mr Fayemi said, after an initial dismissive laughter.
He added, “The so-called creditors have rather been reaching out to me and sending emissaries to beg me to change my position on the matter.
“I was initially offered 10 per cent of the entire $418 million, which is about $40 million, to support the payment and I said no, this is not about me. Then the offer was raised to 20 per cent, which is about $80 million, but I still rejected it in the interest of justice and Nigerians.
“To be frank, I was alarmed that some persons sent to me could agree to discuss such an issue with me.”
‘Nothing against creditors, but an audit is necessary’
Mr Fayemi said he had nothing against the creditors but had to ensure that the right thing is done.
“I don’t have anything against the creditors,” the governor said. “But I believe we should carry out the forensic audit in the interest of justice. If after the audit, it is found out that they are legitimate debts I will immediately support the payment. But we have to do what is right.” (Premium Times)