Again, PDP Attacks Buhari, Says Govt Shielding Officials From Corruption Investigation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of shielding the  prosecution of corrupt officials in his government by suppressing information on their “monumental” corrupt dealings.

The party said such suppressing of information is carried out by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

Spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this on Wednesday at the national secretariat of his party in Abuja.

According to Ologbondiyan, one of such antics by the Buhari administration was the Tuesday July 28, 2020 press conference by Lai Mohammed, wherein he dared Nigerians, particularly whistleblowers, despite revelations of rampant corruption virtually in all aspects of government under the APC.

He noted however, that the PDP is not surprised “that this corrupt administration resorted to distortion of facts and daring of citizens when its officials from the top to the bottom are all soiled in the foul potage of corruption.”

The PDP spokesman said the investigation and unearthing of corruption at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was by the Buhari administration was as a result of pressure it and Nigerians  mounted on the government.

He said “Such humongous corruption in the EFCC under the APC confirms the level of financial malfeasance and a shameful breach of trust by this administration, in which very top officials of the Buhari Presidency had been mentioned.”

He listed major corruption cases which the government is trying to suppress:

“We challenge the APC federal government to give account of the N800 billion, which Lai Mohammed claimed to have been recovered, especially given allegations that recovered monies have been re-looted and shared among topmost officials of the Buhari administration and APC leaders.

“Rather than resorting to false performance claims, the expectation of Nigerians is that this administration would have sent Lai Mohammed to apologise for this display of gross abuse of position especially as it relates to the fight against corruption.

“We further invite Nigerians to note that Lai Mohammed, in his press conference, admitted that he could not go into the details of the various corruption issues in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), EFCC and other agencies.

“Our party holds that this is an evasion of gory tales of direct stealing, treasury looting and barefaced embezzlements by government officials and APC leaders as already exposed in on-going investigations at the National Assembly and at the presidential panel.

“With this shocking suppression of information related to corrupt practices, by no other person than the minister of information, Nigerians and the world at large are no longer in doubt that concealment of corruption in ministries, department and agencies is an official policy of the APC administration because their leaders are involved.

“This is the same reason the APC and its government had suppressed the prosecution of officials indicted in the N90 billion stolen from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in which top members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were mentioned.

“This is in addition to the suppression of prosecution of APC leaders involved in the reported looting of N33billion from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the stealing of over N18 billion from the rehabilitation of IDPs in the Northeast as well as the over N25 billion from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) among others.”

He further said the administration and the APC has not denied being the
“the headquarters of corruption and also had nothing to say to reports by reputable international organizations, including the Transparency International (TI) that corruption had worsened under this administration.”

Ologbondiyan also challenged Mohammed to inform Nigerians why “this administration has failed to address the direct allegation by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, that the N500bn meant for Social Investment Program under this administration was diverted to private purses.

“We also challenge the minister to name those behind the looting in NEMA, NHIS, FIRS North East Development Commission and the NDDC.

“Moreover, in doing that, Lai Mohammed should also offer some explanations on his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud, for which Nigerians had demanded his investigation by the ICPC.”

He maintained that the PDP stands with Nigerians “in stating that no amount of propaganda, blackmail, threats and intimidation from the APC and the Buhari Presidency will stop them from continuing to expose the monstrous corruption being perpetrated by APC leaders and government officials under this administration.”