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| Lai Mohammed (r) and Kola Ologbondiyan |
The Federal Government has released a list of some of those who have allegedly looted the nation’s treasury.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who released the list during a press conference in Lagos on Friday, said the individuals include officials in the past government.
But in a swift reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed the list as hollow and laughable, describing it as an extension of federal government's media trial.
It however challenged the federal government to come up with names of its members against whom it had secured convictions.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday, said the list issued by the minister of information only goes to show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency have no prove of corruption against the PDP.
Nonetheless, the names in the list revealed by the federal government include PDP chieftains, who are currently being tried for corruption and financial crimes.
“The PDP has challenged us to name the looters under their watch. They said 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,” Mohammed said as he released the names.
Below is the list and allegations against the individuals by the federal government
PDP Chairman Uche Secondus.
Allegation: On the 19th of Feb 2015, he took N200 million only from the office of the NSA.
Former PDP Financial Secretary.
Allegation: On the 24th of Oct 2014, he took N600 million only from the office of former NSA.
Former National Publicity Secretary Olisah Metuh.
On trial for allegedly collecting N1.4bn from the office of former NSA.
Dr Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications.
On trial for allegedly taking N2.1 billion from the office of the former NSA.
Former SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei
On trial, over N830 million allegedly kept in accounts of four different companies.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Cousin Robert Azibaola
On Thursday, a Federal High Court ruled that he has a case to answer for allegedly collecting $40 million from the office of former NSA.
The decision by the APC-led government to reveal the names of the alleged looters and the funds allegedly stolen is in response to the opposition party, PDP’s, challenge to the government to name those alleged to have looted the country and destroyed the economy.
Mohammed said this list is just a tip of the iceberg, and the APC did not make these cases up as some of them currently have cases in court.
“They are in court and the records are available. Some of the people on this list are seeking to plea bargain, and that is a fact.
“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,” he said.
Mohammed said further that the APC will not stop talking about the alleged looting by the PDP.
“We will not stop talking about the massive looting by the PDP. They brought Nigeria to this sorry pass. We are now looking around for loans to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. We will talk about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PDP which dismissed the list oas cheap blackmail as none of those listed have been indicted or convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction or any panel of enquiry in the country, said APC in its frenzy and desperation, even included names of individuals who are not standing trial or under investigation for any act of corruption, as well as those who are not even PDP members.
The statement by the PDP national publicity secretary, Ologbondiyan, states that the Buhari-led federal government has manifested its frenzy by going after matters that are in court and in which none of the persons have been convicted, thus betraying their wickedness and desperation to mislead the public, the court and divert attention from the heavy looting involving their members.
The PDP said: "We are not in doubt that the individuals he has mentioned will take their legitimate stride and pursue appropriate action in the court.
"However, attacks on individuals, who are members of our party, does not in anyway detract from the fact that the PDP, as a political platform, is not a party of corruption.
"It is unfortunate that the APC and its government under whose watch horrendous sleazes are happening on daily basis and a government that has failed to fulfill the littlest of its campaign promises, can spend a wholesome three years searching for flimsy allegations to discredit our party and its members.'
The opposition party went further to note that the APC government "is yet to account for $26 billion (N9 trillion) stolen through corrupt oil contracts in the NNPC, N1.1 trillion worth of crude diverted to service APC interests, N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention fund stolen by APC officials, including their former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, the N10 billion National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for which members of the Buhari cabal were indicted as well as the Mainagate, where the APC government recalled and reinstated an individual indicted for scam running into billions of naira."
This, it said, is in addition to cover provided for serving ministers indicted for corrupt enrichment, among whom is a prominent former APC governor from the south-south, who was indicted by his state for stealing billions of naira to fund President Buhari’s campaign in 2015.
"We emphatically say that the PDP is on a rebound and such flimsy allegations by the APC and its horde of looters, who stole humongous wealth from their respective states of the federation to sponsor an incompetent candidate in 2015, cannot stop us from challenging the federal government to fulfill its campaign promises," the PDP said.
It added that since, the APC has decided to draw this attack, we will no longer hold back but appropriately commence a serialization of all looters hiding in APC and the Presidency.
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