PDP mocks Buhari, APC over Amaechi’s alleged graft remarks

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the remarks reportedly made by Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, about alleged “silent looting in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is a confirmation of the massive corruption in the government.”

The party claimed that the APC administration “has been providing official cover for corrupt officials, who have turned government agencies to cash cows and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for themselves, their cronies, family members and mistresses.”

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that, “the situation as presented by Amaechi shows that ‘quiet stealing’ is a policy of the APC administration.”

It continued: “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 main opposition party said the comment by Amaechi “exposed why the APC administration has failed to recover the over N25 trillion reportedly stolen by APC leaders in various government agencies.”

It added: “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 (rtd), 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) and 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.”

The party further said: “Amaechi’s remarks had also explained the circumstance surrounding 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.”