FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE
News Release. May 24, 2014
“SERVICE CHIEFS BOMB OKONJO-
IWEALA”: PUNCH LIES AGAIN
In its front page story, today May 24, 2014,
”Service Chiefs ‘Bomb’ Okonjo-Iweala”,
PUNCH, in its usual tradition of lies against
the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and
Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
claimed that military Service Chiefs
confronted her over delays in releasing the
security budget.
The story, like most of the “facts” cited in the
article, is a complete fabrication. There was no
such meeting and we challenge PUNCH to
produce evidence of such a “confrontation”.
The Federal Ministry of Finance is NOT
withholding any allocations due to the military.
We also challenge PUNCH to reveal the
“military sources” that gave it the information.
The headline obviously is meant to knock the
heads of the military establishment and that
of the Federal Ministry of Finance together in
order to sow confusion within the government
at a time that the country needs to unite to
fight a common threat.
It is instructive that no other newspaper went
to town with this lie or the negative slant in
PUNCH’s tasteless report.
As accurately reported by other newspapers,
over N130 billion, including N85 billion in
salaries, was released to the military between
January and April 2014 because security is a
top priority of the Jonathan administration
for obvious reasons. Total defence budget is
N968.127 billion which is about 20% of the
Federal Budget.
We enjoin PUNCH to practice truth and
integrity in its reporting. It is unseemly for a
national newspaper to fabricate lies and
exaggerate issues. PUNCH, Nigerians are
watching you and your scurrilous sponsors.
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister
for the Economy and Minister of Finance
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