Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands the immediate prosecution of
the former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
over his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC) N2.5 billion fraud.
The party also demanded the immediate prosecution of the sacked
Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof.
Usman Yusuf, over allegations of misappropriation of N919 million as
exposed by a ministerial panel.
The PDP holds that the duo must not be left off the hook because of
their affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the
Presidency.
The party insisted that Alhaji Lai Mohammed should be prosecuted
alongside the already docked Director General of the NBC, Alhaji Modibbo
Kawu, following his statement at the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related offences Commission (ICPC).
The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the ICPC had already indicated,
in a press release, that Alhaji Lai Mohammed admitted in a statement to
it, that he was “misled” by the Director General of the NBC, who was his
subordinate, into approving the payment of the N2.5 billion to a private
company.
According to the ICPC, “the former minister’s involvement had come under
questioning following discovery by the ICPC, during investigations, that
a government White Paper that governs the execution of DSO programme was
allegedly flouted by the head of the NBC.
“Mohammed had however admitted in a statement to the commission that he
was misled by Kawu…”, the ICPC further stated.
Our party therefore insists that since the ICPC holds that the former
minister’s involvement had come under questioning, he should be made to
explain himself in the dock, not as a witness but as a defendant in the
matter.
This is a former minister who was in a haste to publish names of
innocent Nigerians as looters just because they are members of the PDP,
while a humongous fraud simmered under his nose.
Furthermore, the PDP states that the dismissal of the NHIS boss has also
vindicated its position that billions of naira belonging to the Scheme
and meant for the health needs of Nigerians was being frittered.
The Party therefore states that Prof. Yusuf must be prosecuted in order
to track and recover the over N25 billion allegedly siphoned from the
account of the Scheme in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to service
APC interests.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
