The Peoples Democratic Party has reacted to the comment by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that stealing is going on quietly under the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
The party said Amaechi’s comment, in an interview over the weekend, vindicated its position that the government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, reeks of malfeasance.
The PDP made its position known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday.
It said the comments was a confirmation that Buhari’s administration has provided cover for corrupt officials.
The statement said, “The situation as presented by Amaechi shows that ‘quiet stealing’ is a policy of the APC administration. This explains why the administration is heavy on propaganda and has failed to prosecute its officials and APC leaders openly indicted for corruption, but only resort to ‘easing out’ such thieves with a pat on the wrist.
“The confession by Amaechi exposes why the APC administration has failed to recover the over N25 trillion reportedly stolen by APC leaders in various government agencies.
“Nigerians now have a clearer picture on how the N9.3 trillion as detailed in the reported NNPC memo was stolen, how over N2 trillion was allegedly siphoned under fraudulent subsidy regime as well as how the N1.1 worth of crude oil was reportedly stolen using 18 unregistered vessels.
“This is in addition to the revelation by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno, that billions of naira meant for security under the APC could not be traced.
“Nigerians now know how billions of naira reportedly stolen from various agencies including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in which a very top APC government official was indicted, as well as the N500 billon Social Investment Programme fund, as revealed by First Lady, Aisha Buhari, were siphoned.
“Amaechi’s confession has also shed more light on the circumstance behind the alleged stealing of N165 billion in the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) under his ministerial purview, the N1.5 trillion and $9.5 million reportedly stolen from Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the $65 million (N31 billion) frittered from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) as well as the N90 billion looted from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others.
“This is in addition to the alleged secret looting of huge part of foreign loans and repatriated funds placed at the disposal of the APC and its administration.
“The APC has looted our nation into two excruciating economic recessions in a space of six years, and turned our nation into the poverty capital of the world, where over 83 million citizens live in abject impoverishment and unable to afford basic necessities of life.”
