EX-GOVERNOR YERIMA’S N100 MILLION GIFT TEARS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY APART …I GAVE ONLY $50,000.00 - YERIMA  

Ex-Gov. Sani Yerima

Former Governor of Zamfara State in Northern Nigeria, Sani Yerima has spurned a huge controversy in the United States on the account of an alleged $1 Million donation to a California based private University. The amount which Yerima said was exaggerated is now rocking the school, American Heritage University to its foundations. The former Governor is said to have made similar donation of about $100,000 to an Indian University between 2003 and 2005.

Sources told pointblanknews.com that the President of the University, former Dean of Law at the University of Benin, Nigeria, Professor Tony Ogiamen, did not operate on the same page with the other members of the University Senate concerning the actual amount of money that was given to the University by Ex-Governor Yerima who is now a Senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria. According to impeccable sources Yerima may have donated as much as $1 Million in form of endowment towards providing long distance education to the academically disadvantaged Zamfara State.

While it could not have been out of place for a University to source funds from private and Governmental entities, the purported secrecy surrounding the link between Yerima and Professor Ogiamen may have contributed to the curiosity of concerned persons on how much the University received; also, some officials of the school would want Professor Ogiemen to come open on how many Nigerians have benefited as Honorary Doctoral awardees courtesy of the University and how much has accrued as financial donations from such beneficiaries. In particular, Ogiamen, a Professor of Law and cousin to Professor Omo Omoruyi, the former Director of Organization, IBB For President, was accused of secretly conferring an Honorary Doctoral on the wife of former Nigerian dictator, Mrs. Mariam Babangida. He has flatly denied any such deal.

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However, in an interview with Pointblanknews.com, Ex-Governor Yerima said “it’s a lie. I never gave $1 Million. What I approved and which was paid through Zamfara State Ministry of Finance was $50,000.00.” Asked why he had to make such a huge donation to an American University whose budget and fortunes could be bigger than that of an economically backward State like Zamfara he said “what is in $50,000.00? How much is $50,000.00? Do not forget that it was tied to a specific need and proposal: The AHU people were to provide Open University linkage to our state university and other higher institutions in the state.

Professor Ogiamen, sources said, allegedly sidelined his some of his colleagues when he went to Nigeria to Nigeria to collect the promised money from Zamfara State said “My meeting with governor Yerima was facilitated by Mr. Billy Nwoye and Mr. Mainasara Ilo, President of First Legendary Investments in Abuja. Three of us, including the vice-president and the dean of the University traveled to Gusau via Abuja in 2005. But there are some contradictions in the transactions. Ogiamen confessed that he got $50,000.00 from Yerima and got back to the United States with $25,000.00. What happened to the balance of $25,000.00? He explained that the Nigerian factor viz under the table kick-backs to bank officials, payment of consultancy fees to both Mainassara Illo, a former Nigerian Television Authority, NTA staff and Billy Nwoye took half of the money. Even then there is still something not connecting. Ogiemen finally paid $23,000.00 to the University’s cashier and sourced claimed that loans taking from some people to organize reception for Yerima in the United States and other expenses incurred on several trips to Nigeria have not yet been settled.

Some sources disclosed that upon return from Nigeria, Professor Ogiamen was confronted by some officials of the school to tender financial documents and declaration upon entering the U.S on the money he collected from the Zamfara Government. The Professor of Law was said to have told the officials that there were no documents as such was the norm in Nigeria.

He was said to have also told his colleagues that he paid $6,000.00 to Nigerian officials; an action that sources said was against the policy of the University.  

Professor Ogiamen in his response to enquiries by pointblanknews.com corroborated Yerima’s explanation. He said that he was given $50,000.00 as an endowment to the American Heritage University. He also said that the University did confer an Honorary Doctoral on Ex-Governor Yerima. He however denied any fraudulent practice and intentions. He said he did not hawk AHU’s degrees fro pecuniary gains in Nigeria. “I did not give any degree to Mrs. Babangida or collect any money from her.” He offered further clarification “It all began after we met with the governor in Gusau and there was a supposed gift of $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars) to the University and it was attached to a proposal, which was for AHU to host and organize an international conference in New York on Sharia and Democracy. It was to be funded by the state government no matter the cost. He then said that if we could organize such a conference, he would endow the university. There was no specific amount mentioned for the endowment.

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“We actually had an elaborate discussion on both issues and Yerima was thrilled that we would provide him such an international stage for him to showcase the virtues of sharia and how it can function in democratic settings. His point was that sharia is not at variance with the basic tenet of democracy. We were also thrilled that we would be involved in such a conference in New York. We then engaged an event planner in Florida to help us with the logistics. We never got beyond this stage. After he got the honorary award, he became evasive and inaccessible. Every attempt was rebuffed and we were told he was busy preparing for his senate race.”

“We spent more than $15,000 for everything including the three trips I made to Zamfara and Abuja in pursuit of the big plans the governor had in mind.”

“We also spent a large of money to host the governor and his 14-man entourage for the honorary degree award. Even for us the get the payment was a battle. At some point, some of our officials said to forget the money and the governor so that we concentrate on more tangible things. I refused because we deserved the money no matter how little. I would suggest that you contact Mr. Mainasara Ilo for further clarification and information.”