Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to perish the thoughts of further
mortgaging the future of our country by securing $500 million dollars
(N182 billion) loan, purportedly for upgrading of the Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA).
The party also urged the National Assembly to save the nation by
refusing the request by President Muhammadu Buhari to plunge our nation
into more debt through his request for additional $29.9 billion dollars
loan, in which the said $500 million and other unexplained subheads are
embedded.
The PDP implores the National Assembly to reject the clear attempt by
the cabal in the Buhari Presidency to worsen the economic situation in
our country via the use of phony projects as guise to draw foreign funds
to service their selfish economic and political interests.
The party notes that under the Buhari Presidency, our foreign debt has
accumulated to $83 billion dollars with nothing to show other than
excruciating unemployment rate, decayed infrastructure, a worsening
governance system, escalated insecurity and unprecedented poverty.
The PDP alerts that the request for the approval of $500 million is
aimed at setting the stage for further fleecing of our nation’s economy
as the Federal Government under the Buhari administration has shown no
commitment towards nation building, transparency and accountability in
governance.
Moreover, the Federal Government has failed to present details of the
requested $29.9 billion dollars loan in which the $500 million being
requested by the Minister of Information and Culture is embedded; a
development that points to nothing but the corruption in the Buhari
administration.
While counselling the Minister to perish the thoughts of $500 million,
the PDP charges him to use his appearance at the National Assembly to
give account of the funds so far released to the Ministry of Information
and Culture which has been plagued by cases and allegations of
corruption under his watch.
The party also charges Lai Mohammed to immediately provide answers to
circumstances surrounding the reported National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC) N2.5 billion fraud.
The PDP urges the National Assembly to shelve all requests for foreign
loans until the Buhari Presidency heed to the demand by Nigerians to
open its books and publish details of all financial transactions on
foreign loans as well as spending from the federation account so as to
secure our economy from the bazaar of the corrupt cabal in the Buhari
Presidency.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
