The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed strong support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to probe the immediate past federal government, saying the revelations of mind-boggling corruption that are just beginning to emerge have made such a probe imperative.
”Some people have insinuated that the Buhari Administration should ignore the massive looting of our patrimony and move on. We say no responsible government can afford to do that, because it will amount to endorsing corruption and impunity,” the party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
It said in the oil sector alone, billions of dollars have been skimmed off by pathologically-corrupt public officials, wondering how the government of the day can meet its obligations to the citizens if it refuses to recover the huge funds taken away by thieving officials
”It is an irony that those who are suggesting that the Buhari Administration should turn a blind eye to the incomprehensible looting are the same ones accusing the government of not doing anything. It is even a cruel irony that the same party that presided over what is fast emerging as the worst governance in the history of our country is the same one that is daily bad-mouthing an Administration that is cleaning up its mess,” APC said.
The party said even if all the acts of corruption that were perpetrated during the tenure of the last Administration are limited to what is now in the public domain, it is still absolutely exigent for the Buhari Administration to do all it can to bring the perpetrators to book and recover the looted funds.
”Where does one start from? Is it the fact that the NNPC failed to remit 3.8 trillion Naira to the Federation Account or the mind-blowing stealing of 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day? Is it the fact that the NNPC itself does not know how many bank accounts it had or into which ones the payments for Nigerian crude are made? Could anyone have imagined that a government minister would steal the unprecedentedly-huge amount of 6 billion US dollars of public funds as being alleged?
”How does any sane person rationalize the fact that 1 billion dollars was unilaterally and illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account just because, as the immediate past Minister of Finance has disclosed, the President ordered the withdrawal? What about the billions of Naira waivers recklessly approved to dubious importers by the Jonathan administration?
”Is it not clear now that the stealing and the profligacy – more than anything else, including the fall in oil price – helped to drastically reduce the monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about 800 billion Naira to about 400 billion Naira, thus pauperizing the states and the local governments, and by extension the citizenry?
”Against the background of the stunning revelations, what message will any government be sending to its citizens and indeed the global community by looking the other way, when it could still recover some of the looted funds for the benefit of the people? This is why we are supporting the Buhari Administration’s probe decision, and calling on all Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to get to the root of the matter,” it said.
APC said it is now clear that the Jonathan Administration cleverly delayed giving the then incoming Buhari government the handover note so as to avoid being asked critical questions pertaining to the unprecedented looting under its watch. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
So it is now 250000 barrels of crude oil and not the 16 ill ion barrels as espoused by Buhari? . Different figures from the same government. I advise this government to talk less and do more. They should not be in a hurry to discredit the previous government especially GEJ. I know the ultimate aim is to ensure he does not get any recognition for his statesmanship in accepting defeat. Let the present government get the record together before coming to the press. One minister siphoning 6 billion dollars?. Is 6 billion dollars 6 million naira? . Haba! !!
ReplyDeleteAPC and Tinubu who are the most corrupt human beings are calling for Jonathan,s probe, if the Buhari was to show that he is Mr Sincere, then he should start the probe from tinubu and all his APC members and should stop calling kettle black while is political party members are the most corrupt.
ReplyDeleteThe thieves under Jonathan must be dealt with including Jonathan himself if he contributed to the robbery in any way. Impunity must be stopped in this country. Those who still public wealth must account for their actions, however highly placed. The country is more than any individuals.
ReplyDeleteThose who reason that Jonathan should not be investigated because he accepted defeat are more less insane. Did he not fail the election? Did he have a choice in the matter? It was the people's decision to vote him out. Is he greater than the whole country? His accepting defeat is not a big deal and can certainly not shield him from facing justice if he recklessly abandoned his responsibility by allowing his Ministers to unfairly shortchange Nigerians while he was president.