4th April, 2018
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the looters list released by the Federal Government as part of ploy by the government to divert people attention from public discourse.
The Party made the observation in a statement issued by its Natural Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) have failed in its ploy to use the looters lists to divert public discourse from the raging questions on their numerous scandals, manifest sleazes and overall failures in governance.
The PDP, said the nation has now seen that the Federal Government has no case against the PDP.
It noted that the lists only had individuals who were not indicted or convicted for corruption, adding that some of them were not even members of the PDP.
“It is now a notorious fact that the whole essence of the flimsy and contemptible lists was to cause public misperception, ‘change the topic’, and divert international and national discourse from various serious issues.”
These according to PDP include the “parlous state of the nation’s economy” for which Nigerians now resorting to vices, including slavery and suicide as options.
It also listed intensive global criticism of APC-led government, particularly with the latest from Bill Gates and eminent statesmen.
These according to the party include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and former minister of defence and ex-Chief of Army staff, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma.
“The international interest over speculations of conspiracy theorem on the alleged manipulation of security in the abduction and return of the Dapchi schoolgirls for which Amnesty International (AI) has called for an open inquest.
“The international embarrassment over alleged procurement of the Martin Luther King Jr Award for President Buhari, which has now attracted global opprobrium to our dear nation and entire citizenry.”
It also listed the N9 trillion corrupt oil contracts at the NNPC, alleged stealing of N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil, looting of N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention fund and the alleged stealing of N10 billion National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as part of the iasues.
“These are issues that cannot be swept under the carpet using any ploy whatsoever.
“While we still challenge the APC to name any members of the repositioned and rebranded PDP convicted for corruption, we wish to remind them that our three-day ultimatum to explain the source of looted fund to finance
President Buhari’s 2015 campaign still subsist.
“No amount of blackmail or intimidation can stop Nigerians from holding the dysfunctional APC accountable,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government through, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Informants and Culture, had released a list of persons who allegedly looted dry Nigeria’s economy under PDP watch, describing the list as just a tip of the iceberg.
Among those listed were, the PDP Chairman Uche Secondus, saying he on the Feb. 19, 2015 took N200 million only from the office of then NSA
“Then PDP Financial Secretary on the 24th of Oct. 2014, he took N600 million only from the office of then NSA.
“Then National Publicity Secretary Olisah Metuh, who is on trial for collecting N1.4billion from the office of then NSA.
“Dr Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications – On trial for taking N2.1 billion from the office of then NSA
“ Former SSA to President Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei – On trial over N830 million kept in accounts of four different companies
“Former President Jonathan’s Cousin Robert Azibaol – on Thursday, a Federal High Court ruled that he has a case to answer for collecting $40 million from the office of then NSA,” Mohammed listed.