PDP Salivating Over $311 Million Abacha Loot– APC

The All Progressive Congress APC has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party over comment on recovered loot from former military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha.

The United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey had repatriated $311 million Abacha loot to the federal government.

The presidency acknowledged receipt of the fund on Monday.

The PDP in a statement on Wednesday demanded that the fund be sent to the National Assembly, adding that, “The PDP counsels that this repatriated $311 million should be safeguarded from the antics of the APC cabal.”

“Our party demands that the fund should be surrendered to the NASS Nigeria for proper statutory appropriation and urge Nigerians to resist schemes by the cabal to prevent them from demanding explanations on the looting of repatriated funds, ” PDP said.

But in a statement on Wednesday published on twitter, the ruling APC said PDP was “salivating” over missed opportunity to share the recovered loot.

“Going by the PDP statement on the recovered $311 million repatriated funds, it is clear that the opposition party is salivating over Abacha loot, saddened by a missed opportunity to share the money as they used to, ” the statement said.

“Unfortunately, @OfficialPDPNig is unable to rid corruption from its DNA and until the party has the courage to burn its corruption handbook to ashes, it would be difficult for it not to hallucinate over public funds; of course, we understand PDP frustrations.

“Its unsuccessful and serial attempts to tar the APC government with the corruption toga in order to blur its own image as a party that personifies corruption in words and deeds has turned the party into a laughing stock.”

APC said that the President Muhammad Buhari led administration was committed to impacting on the lives of taxpayers and not sharing of public funds.

“The recovery consolidates on Buhari’s resolve to recover our stolen commonwealth and other proceeds of corruption – locally and internationally.

Recall that this administration similarly recovered $322 million from Switzerland in 2018, as part of monies stolen by Abacha which has been transparently and judiciously deployed in the funding of social investment programmes, including the free school feeding scheme, stipends for millions of disadvantaged citizens, and grain grants for those in severe food hardship as specified in….. the agreement signed with the Switzerland and the World Bank.

“Nigerians living on the margins and affected by the economic effect of COVID-19 have also benefitted from government palliatives partly funded by the recovered stolen funds,” the statement said.

The APC, referred the opposition to the 2020 Asset Return Agreement which requires the fund to be transferred to a Central Bank of Nigeria, Asset Recovery designated account .

The ruling party said the fund, based on the agreement, would be paid to “National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) designated as the project management and execution authority within the next fourteen days.”

“The federal government has committed itself that the assets will be invested in expediting the construction of major infrastructure projects across Nigeria, and particularly,” APC added.