PDP To Buhari: Prosecute Corrupt Persons In Your Government

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prosecute persons with corruption allegations in his government.

The PDP said its call was predicated on the admission by Buhari that some officials of his administration had questions to answer.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday by its Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party charged the President to “match his words with action by immediately charging those already indicted to court.”

According to Ologbondiyan, the President’s declaration has vindicated the party that Buhari’s administration is soiled with “treasury looters, who had been enjoying the cover of government.”

He said until the President tool corresponding actions against these officials of his government and some leaders of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had been indicted for corruption, his declaration wiould amount to nothing.

The spokesman said, “It is public knowledge that the APC administration had provided cover for loads of corrupt individuals in its fold as none of the government officials and APC leaders, who have been openly indicted for corruption, abuse of office and treasury looting, have been held culpable and prosecuted.

“Instead, what the nation is witnessing is the constant harassment, intimidation, hounding and persecution of opposition leaders and other Nigerians with dissenting views, with trumped-up charges.”

Furthermore, the PDP spokesman charged the President to note that the persons alleged to have engaged in looting of public funds were being allowed to move freely.

He said the individuals were in the following agencies of government -Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC), among others.

He also said, “Currently, the delay in prosecuting the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, as well as indicted officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in fraud allegations, in which very top officials of the Buhari administration have been mentioned, does not convey any sense of commitment by the administration to fight against corruption.

“Our party stresses that this new assurances by Mr. President is in line with the practice of the PDP, in whose administration anti-corruption structures were not only established but corrupt officials were investigated, prosecuted and where found guilty, punished in line with the provisions of the law.

“It is however strange that the Buhari administration is setting up special investigation panels to investigate officials of government accused of malfeasance bordering on corruption rather than allowing statutory anti-corruption agencies and the courts to carry out their responsibilities in that regard.”