The Federal Government of Nigeria
has released some names of officials of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) that it said looted the treasury while the party was in power.
The government was responding to a
challenge by the spokesperson of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in response to
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who said the PDP administration carried out
massive looting of the treasury in the 16 years it was in power.
Mr. Ologbondiyan in a statement on
Thursday accused Mr. Osinbajo of not being bold enough to mention names of
those he claimed stole public funds.
The Minister of Information, Lai
Mohammed, picked up the challenge Friday while addressing journalists in Lagos.
The text of the address was sent to us by the information ministry.
Mr. Mohammed said he called the
press conference because the PDP has challenged the government to name the
looters under their watch.
He also said the PDP had claimed
they did not loot the treasury.
“Well, I am sure they know that the
treasury was looted dry under their watch. Yet they decided to grandstand. This
shows the hollowness of their apology to Nigerians,” he said.
Mr. Mohammed then gave a list of top
officials of the PDP that he said were looters.
He said the national chairman of the
party, Uche Secondus, on February 19, 2015 received N200 million from the
office of then National Security Adviser (NSA).
“Then PDP Financial Secretary, on
the 24th of October 2014, took N600 million only from the office of then NSA
“Then National Publicity Secretary
Olisah Metuh is on trial for collecting N1.4 billion from the office of then
NSA,” he said.
The minister also said a stalwart of
the PDP, Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of DAAR Communications is also in trial
for receiving N2.1 billion from the office of then NSA.
“Former SSA to President Jonathan,
Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, on trial over N830 million kept in accounts of four
different companies.”
Mr. Mohammed said a Federal High
Court on Thursday ruled that a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan,
Robert Azibaola, has a case to answer for collecting $40 million from the office
of then NSA.
“This list is just a tip of the
iceberg, and the PDP is aware of this.
“We did not make these cases up.
Many of these cases are in court and the records are available,” Mr. Mohammed
said.
The minister also said some of the
people he mentioned are seeking to plea bargain.
Mr. Secondus had within the week
apologised to Nigerians on behalf of the PDP for what the party did wrong while
it held office.
The APC administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari, however, called on Nigerians to reject the apology and ask
the PDP to first return monies stolen under its watch.
“We insist that Nigeria was looted
blind under the watch of the PDP, and that the starting point in tendering an
apology is for them to return the loot.
“It’s like a robber admitting to
stealing your car and apologising, but then saying he will keep the car anyway.
It doesn’t work that way.
“The PDP is a hypocrite. And that
reminds me of what English writer William Hazlitt said: ”The only vice that
cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself
hypocrisy.” Mr. Mohammed said.
He also said the government will not
stop talking about the alleged massive looting by the PDP.
He said the party brought Nigeria to
its present situation.
“We are now looking around for loans
to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. We will talk
about it,” the minister said.
0 Comments