In a dramatic manner, the Federal Government Friday rolled out list of Peoples Democratic Party members who allegedly looted the nation’s treasury. In an eye-for-eye episode, PDP few hours after reeled out its list of people in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who allegedly plundered the nation’s patrimony. Shortly, Governor Fayose of Ekiti too joined the frail. What a battle royale!
At a press conference in Lagos, Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, said the individuals include officials in the past government.
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.
Find the list below and the allegations against them 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.
But in a swift reaction same day, the PDP, through Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, said for the All Progressive Congress (APC) to accuse members of the PDP of treasury looting is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
In a statement, the party listed cases of alleged looting by officials of the federal government in the Buhari administration but which the PDP said have been swept under the carpet.
“This is a government that 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,” the PDP stated.
Dismissing the list released by Mohammed as hollow and laughable, the PDP challenged the minister to name any of its members that has been convicted for treasury looting.
The party said the list is an extension of federal government’s media trial of its members and challenged it to come up with names of its members against whom the federal government had secured convictions.
It added: “The list put forward by the federal government as purported looters amounts to a cheap blackmail as none of those listed have been indicted or convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction or any panel of enquiry in our country.
“The list issued by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, only goes to show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency have no prove of corruption against the PDP.”
The party said in its frenzy and desperation, the federal government 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 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.
“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, do not in any way 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 a 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.”
Writing in his Twitter page, Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State, criticised the federal government over the controversial list of treasury looters in the country.
Fayose queried the omission of former minister, Alison Dieziani Madueke, ex-pension boss, Abdulrasheed Maina, amongst others from the list.
The Ekiti governor further questioned the authenticity of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.
He wrote “Surprisingly, name of PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus (N200m) is on Lai Mohammed clownish ‘looters’ lists; that of Diezani that they claimed to have traced N47.2bn & $487.5m to was missing.
“Did FG lie against Diezani ab-initio or she is now Baptized into APC comity of Saint Looters?
“Still about their corruption list, what happened to the NHIS Boss, Yusuf (sacked for fraud & reinstated by Buhari), Maina (the pension thief), NNPC boss, Baru ($25bn contract scam), Abba Kyari (N500m MTN scam) and others. Are they “Saint Looters?
Investigations by Straightnews show that there are two categories of looters in Nigeria- Satanic looters and saint looters. Looters who belong to the power-base are ‘saints’ and can go to the Rev. Fr. in Aso Rock every Saturday for penance. No probe! Their sins are all forgiven because of belonging to the ruling house, but the rest who out of power can go under the cover of public scrutiny for probe. Their evils leave after them, no forgiveness. What a paradox of life!
