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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration stating that it is the “headquarters of corruption as well as the dockyard of thieves, treasury looters, and oppressive cabal who have stolen our nation dry”.
The PDP accused the ruling party of frustrating the on-going probes in government agencies because, according to the opposition party, “its leaders are complicit and all soiled, from head to toe, in the mire of corruption”.
This was contained in a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday.
The statement was however in reaction to the APC claim that the PDP is not interested in the current moves by the Buhari administration to reposition the NDDC but dead-scared of the outcome of the 2001 to 2019 forensic audit and legislative inquests of the NDDC operations.
“The PDP is doing everything to sabotage and frustrate the audits,” the ruling party said in a statement on Tuesday by its Deputy National Secretary, Yekini Nabena.
Reacting to the statement, the PDP said the ruling party’s attack against its insistence on the prosecution of the APC leaders indicted in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) probe further betrays the ruling party’s desperation to shield its corrupt leaders and office holders who have been implicated in the probe.
The main opposition party further stated: “Also the attempt by the APC to accuse the PDP over the collapse of the acting NDDC Managing Director, Daniel Pondei, at the National Assembly, apparently under the weight and shame of the massive corruption in APC administration further exposes APC’s misery.
“Under this administration, no government agency is safe from the pillaging fingers of the APC. The APC and its administration is a huge labyrinth of corruption where APC leaders, cabinet ministers, heads of agencies and departments, presidential aides, anti-corruption agencies and even APC federal lawmakers are all entangled in sharp practices.
“The disgraceful and scandalous appeal of “ Hon Minister, off your microphone” situation at the National Assembly sums it all.
“Our party challenges the APC to find its voice and speak out on the litany of evidence in the public space, showing how its leaders have been stealing billions of naira NDDC fund while people of the region, wallow in abject poverty and despondency.
“It is imperative to state that the APC must address the new peel of its labyrinth of corruption at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) where their leaders and cronies have been fingered in alleged involvement of looting of about N4.448 billion through underhand contracts.
“Nigerians are already in the know of how APC leaders reportedly siphoned N40 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), part of which was allegedly used to finance APC’s 2019 campaigns in a racket in which certain top APC leaders were alleged to have received N3 billion each.
“This is in addition to exposed looting of N33 billion NEMA fund as well as findings by the House of Representatives that the funds were never used for provision of emergency food for victims of insurgency in the Northeast among other items as claimed.
“The APC has also remained silent over the allegations that part of the looted funds discovered in the EFCC probe, was given to a very top official of the APC administration.
“Nigerians have also not forgotten the alleged malfeasance in the APC-led ministry of finance and that of humanitarian affairs where billions of naira meant for palliatives and other essentials to mitigate the hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic was allegedly stolen.
“The public is also aware of the leaked NNPC memo detailing how APC leaders stole a whooping N9.6 trillion ($25billion dollars) through underhand contracts; the siphoning of N18 billion out of the N48 billion meant for the rebuilding of six northeast states ravaged by insurgency as well as the looting of N25 billion from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), among others.
“We know that the APC leaders are now having sleepless nights. However, pointing accusing fingers at others, destroying evidence, resorting to antics at the National Assembly as well as threats, intimidation and attempt to silence vital witnesses will not help the APC as the headquarters of corruption.”
