APC Leaders ‘Massive Looting’ Responsible For Poverty, Insecurity – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, accused the the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of corruption, which had allegedly to the high level of poverty and insecurity in the country within the last five years.

The party particularly accused the “cabal” in the presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of “unbridled treasury looting and extortion.”

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Spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the grandstanding of the presidency to revelations of corruption and abuses from the ongoing investigation of Ibrahim Magu, suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has shown that there is an attempt by “a cabal to delink certain of its officials from indictment in the saga.”

Magu is under investigation by a presidential panel over allegations of corruption against him. He was subsequently suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari after he was invited by the panel on Monday.

Ologbondiyan said the recent revelations of widespread treasury looting, including the alleged allocation of billions of stolen money to certain top government officials, have also exposed the “hypocrisy of the APC and how its leaders are mercilessly plundering our economy while abandoning our citizens to a life of squalor.”

He said leaders of the APC have in the last five years “siphoned and pocketed N14 trillion”, meant for developmental projects across the country and welfare of Nigerians, from various government agencies.

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The presidency and the APC, as at the time of this report, were yet to respond to the party’s claims.

Below is part of the PDP statement:

From unfolding events, Nigerians are no longer in doubt that treasury looting is the official manifesto of the APC, which has now been exposed as a deceitful party that came to power by pretenses and pointing of accusing fingers at others while its real intention had always been to sweep the treasuries for their selfish gains.

This explains why the APC administration has failed to expose those involved in the wholesale stealing of N9.6 trillion ($25 billion) oil money as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo just as no steps have been taken by the APC government to investigate and recover the money.

It equally explains why the APC administration had also failed to expose those behind the reported stealing of N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil, using 18 unregistered vessels linked to some of its leaders and why the money was never recovered.

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This is in addition to the mindless looting in revenue related agencies including the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) among other agencies, which have been turned into ATM machines for APC leaders while Nigerians suffer neglect.

The latest revelation of massive looting in NDDC, as detailed by its former Managing Director, Joy Nunieh, as well as the silence of the Buhari Presidency on the issues raised, grant further insight into how resources meant for the development of our nation are being pillaged under the APC.

More distressing are allegations that APC leaders are also looting part of the huge borrowings by the Buhari administration as well as diverting social intervention funds, such as the N500 billion Social Investment Programme fraud revealed by First Lady Aisha Buhari.

This is in addition to alleged stealing of repatriated funds and proceeds of huge multiple taxes imposed by the APC administration

This massive looting by the APC is responsible for the collapse of infrastructure in all sectors; a frightening 23.1 percent unemployment rate, escalated insecurity, high costs of essential goods, increased morbidity rate, reduced life expectancy and a despondent citizenry.

It also explains why the Buhari administration cannot point to any concrete achievements in the last five years other than reckless external borrowing, destruction of our productive sector, wrecking of our naira and an agonizing poverty, for which Nigerians now resort to suicide and slavery mission abroad as options.

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The PDP however urge Nigerians not to despair but keep faith alive and continue to support one another in this perilous time.

The APC-led administration has distinguished itself as the worst and the most corrupt in the history of our nation for which Nigerians, across the board, are most eager to commit it to the dustbin of antiquity at the appropriate time.

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