Press Statement
Officials…Urges NASS to Protect Nigerians
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned officials of the All
Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to stop using the
deadly COVID-19 pandemic as gateway for corrupt profiteering and looting
of our national treasury.
The party lamented that the financial opacity amidst allegations of
diversion of billions of naira meant for palliatives to vulnerable
citizens is already frustrating the commitment by Nigerians and other
well-meaning groups in the overall effort to combat the spread of the
scourge in our country.
Our party is worried over the activities of certain officials who are
using the COVID-19 pandemic to create and manipulate situations that
circumvent financial documentation and accountability rules and pave way
for the looting of our treasury and borrowed funds, while the people are
left at the mercy of the plague.
This is in addition to anxieties that such officials are hiding under
the demands of COVID-19 pandemic to mop up our international reserves as
well as driving our nation into a frenzied $6.9 billion foreign
borrowing, with no clear-cut terms.
This is amidst allegations of plots by unscrupulous officials to
manipulate the system and create channel for a slush fund that will be
diverted to corrupt APC leaders and the cabal, while mortgaging the
future of our nation’s generation yet unborn.
Our party fears that there are attempts to hide under COVID-19 to empty
our $3.4 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) saving, thereby
leaving our nation dry.
While it is obvious that the Buhari administration seeks to use the
challenges posed by the coronavirus disease as an excuse for its
mismanagement of the economy, which it had wrecked before the outbreak
of the pandemic, our party firmly rejects the attempt by rogues in
government circles to use the scourge to ‘cash out’ our treasury and
further destroy our economy.
This is especially as the APC administration is reputed to be a haven of
corrupt individuals, scammers, treasury looters, certificate forgers,
election riggers, blackmailers, purveyor of fake news and violators of
rule of law and court orders.
Our party invites Nigerians to note that, while a handful of Nigerians
have not acknowledged receiving such funds and officials involved have
not been able to account for the disbursement, humongous figures are
already being bandied to have been spent.
The situation is pathetic and shows how low the social investment
system, which the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, had earlier warned as being
riddled with corruption, had degenerated.
The PDP therefore wants the National Assembly to protect the people by
immediately scaling up its oversight activities on the handling of the
COVID-19 social intervention funding.
The legislators must ensure clauses that guarantee transparency and
accountability, particularly in drawing from our treasury as well as in
approving any further foreign loans for the Buhari administration, are
enshrined in Act.
Furthermore, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well
as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences
Commission (ICPC) should set up special squads across the country to
monitor the implementation of the palliatives and bring culprits to
book.
The safety and wellbeing of Nigerians must be paramount at this critical
time.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
