Alleged N10trn Stolen Funds: FG, APC Hit Back At PDP
The Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday came down hard on the country’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the allegation that N10 trillion public fund was stolen by leaders of the ruling party as unfounded.
The PDP had, in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the APC and the presidency had been playing saint, accusing the opposition of looting, whereas its members and the presidency were frittering away trillions of naira to finance their opulent lifestyles and political interests, even under the watch of the African Union anti-corruption champion.
The PDP had also challenged the APC and the presidency to come clear on the widely reported stealing of N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil by APC interests operating with seven ghost companies.
In the words of Ologbondiyan, “This is in addition to the looting from the Treasury Single Account evidenced in the reported stealing of N10 billion National Health Insurance Scheme’s account in the TSA, as well as revelations of the frittering of fresh N25 billion under questionable ‘deals’.
“Similarly, the PDP demands that the APC and the presidency address Nigerians on the widely reported stealing of N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons’ intervention fund as well as the source of the N671 million allegedly stolen from the APC account by some of its national officers.”
However, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, in an interview with DAILY INDEPENDENT on Tuesday, said the PDP had lost credibility and was no longer taken seriously by Nigerians, especially for making allegations that were unverifiable and unfounded.
The minister said it was ridiculous that the PDP could accuse the APC and the presidency of embezzling N10 trillion when the entire budget of Nigeria was between N7 trillion to N8 trillion.
According to Lai Mohammed, “As a political party, when you make a political statement, you should be very mindful of the accuracy of that statement; otherwise, you will lose credibility. To start with, what is the size of the budget of Nigeria?
“The entire budget is about N7 trillion to N8 trillion, so does it make sense for anyone to remove N10 trillion from N8 trillion? This shows that the PDP has run out of ideas.
“When you prepare a budget, it doesn’t mean that the money is there. Are they aware that in 2016/2017, we had to borrow to part-finance the budget?
“So, how is it possible to take N10 trillion away? It shows that the PDP lacks depth, understanding, and it is a party that is completely bereft of ideas.
“The money that they said was stolen was bigger than the annual budget and that showed how unserious and why they should be ignored by the public.”
Also responding to PDP’s claims, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, described the statement by the PDP as unfounded, saying the campaign strategy of the party aimed at maligning the presidency and the ruling party would not work.
Abdullahi said having realised that President Muhammadu Buhari’s major project was the anti-corruption war, the PDP having nothing to latch on to, had resorted to making wild allegations.
“There are ways to play opposition politics in ways that are credible and believable.
“But the PDP has reduced itself to a political party filled with allegation-mongers. A few weeks ago, they said they are setting up a shadow cabinet.
“It shows how illiterate these individuals are. How can you talk of shadow cabinet in a presidential system of government?
“They did that because Nigerians accuse them of not providing an alternative viewpoint to government policies. Since the formation, what have they done with their so-called shadow cabinet?
“Like I said a couple of days back, the PDP knows that the focal point of President Muhammadu Buhari is the war against corruption.
“So, they believe that they can fight their opposition battle if they are able to attack and create a new narrative to say that these people in APC are not as clean as they claim to be.
“That is their campaign strategy, but it is not going to work. He who alleges must prove.
“The PDP must come forward to say this is the money that has been stolen. Anybody can just wake up and concoct one figure and say N10 trillion is unaccounted for.
“Where is that huge sum of money coming from? Does Nigeria have N10 trillion that can be stolen?
“How much is the entire annual budget of Nigeria? So, if you are going to make allegations that will give people the impression that you still have some sense.
“But when you make these kinds of unfounded allegations, people will just think that you just woke up from a motor park, open your mouth and just say anything.
“If an illiterate is saying N10 trillion, we can understand if he can conceive that figure.”
“But if someone who claims he is educated, who has access to information, opens his mouth and say N10 trillion is stolen, you ask yourself how much is the entire budget of Nigeria?
“Are you saying someone stole the entire budget of this country and we are still carrying on as a country?
“If PDP wants Nigerians to begin to take them seriously, they have to learn to speak with sense.
“What they are saying presently doesn’t make any sense to even a retarded villager,” Abdullahi said.