Written by: Ubong Sampson – Uyo
Lead opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to be a haven of thieves and treasury looters.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP accused the Buhari-led APC administration of providing official cover for corrupt officials, who, the statement claimed, have turned government agencies to cash cows and Automated Teller Machines (ATM) for themselves, cronies, family members and mistresses.
According to the statement, a confession by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that stealing is going on quietly under the Buhari-led administration has vindicated the opposition party’s claim of corruption in the current administration.
“The situation as presented by Amaechi shows that ‘quiet stealing’ is a policy of the APC administration. This explains why the administration is heavy on propaganda and has failed to prosecute its officials and APC leaders openly indicted for corruption, but only resort to “easing out” such thieves with a pat on the wrist”, the statement read.
While maintaining that the minister’s confession exposes why the APC administration has failed to recover the over N25 trillion naira reportedly stolen by APC leaders in various government agencies, the statement also added that Nigerians now have a clearer picture on how the N9.3 trillion as detailed in the reported NNPC memo was stolen, and how over N2 trillion was allegedly siphoned under fraudulent subsidy regime as well as how the N1.1 worth of crude oil was reportedly stolen using 18 unregistered vessels.
The above claims, the statement said, is in addition to the revelation by the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno, that billions of naira meant for security under the APC could not be traced.
“Nigerians now know how billions of naira reportedly stolen from various agencies including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in which a very top APC government official was indicted, as well as the N500 billon Social Investment Programme fund, as revealed by First Lady, Aisha Buhari, were siphoned.
“Amaechi’s confession has also shed more light on the circumstance behind the alleged stealing of N165 billion in the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) under his ministerial purview, the N1.5 trillion and $9.5 million reportedly stolen from Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the $65 million (N31 billion) frittered from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) as well as the N90 billion looted from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others.
“This is in addition to the alleged secret looting of huge part of foreign loans and repatriated funds placed at the disposal of the APC and its administration”, the statement also read.
It further alleging that the APC has looted the nation into two excruciating economic recessions in a space of six years, the statement stressed that the party has turned the nation into the poverty capital of the world, with over 83 million citizens living in abject impoverishment and unable to afford basic necessities of life.
The PDP through the statement further charged Nigerians to hold the ruling party and its leaders responsible for all the woes that have befallen the nation in the last six years, while asking Nigerians to ensure the ‘fizzling’ APC is not allowed anywhere near governance in the country in the next political dispensation.
