Corruption Thrives Under the Watch of President Buhari -PDP

PDP Exposes Corruption Under APC Government
…Says President Must First Purge Party And Government

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says despite the “holier than thou”
posture of the present APC government, there is incontrovertible
evidence that grave corrupt practices are ongoing and allowed to fester
by associates and cronies of government, including former and present
APC governors and others who played major roles in financing his
campaigns with stolen state funds.

The party said this has created a system that is neck deep in
corruption, while the government hoodwinks unsuspecting public with
propaganda.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on
Thursday, said while the party is not averse to the fight against
corruption, “the onus lies on the APC-led Federal Government to wage a
credible holistic anti-corruption war by first purging itself of unclean
association and coming out clear on sleazes already going on in
government quarters since it took office in May.”

“Whereas the PDP restates its respect for the person and office of the
President as well as our support for the war against corruption, it is
incumbent on us to alert Nigerians of the prevailing circumstances
around this government that are capable of fundamentally undermining
good governance if left unchecked.

“Charity, they say begins at home. For the APC-led Government, it has
now become a question of “physician, heal thyself”. Every discerning
mind knows that this administration is not executing a credible holistic
war against corruption because it is a product of corruption, surrounded
by corrupt persons; a factor apparently responsible for its obvious
blind eyes to huge sleazes now being perpetrated in government agencies
by persons claiming closeness to the President.

“It is indeed alarming that in so short a time, an administration that
rode to power on claims of anti-corruption credentials, has broken the
records in constitutional violations and abuse of regulations,
especially in its adamant stance to run a government without the
statutory components of a full cabinet, thereby creating loopholes for
APC interests to invade key government agencies for inflated
concessions, allocations, jobs and other financial sleazes.

“How else can one explain the deliberate constitutional violations in
the appointment of heads of financial handling federal agencies; such as
the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Asset Management
Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON), without due process of ministerial
consultations and legislative clearance, as the case may be?  Is this a
scheme to open up these key finance institutions for malpractices and
turn them into cash cows for APC interests?

“This is in addition to ongoing maneuverings in the oil sector, where
clandestine moves are on to award oil refining licenses to cronies
without the due process of open bidding, as well as statutory guidelines
and checks by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

“Similarly, we invite Nigerians to note that the APC-led administration
has not been forthcoming on how it has been depleting the funds it
inherited in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and other government
savings. Are they the source of the funds now being circulated to pay
back huge contributions for APC Presidential campaign expenses?

“Furthermore, we wish to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the fact
that this administration, for obvious reasons, has deliberately turned a
blind eye to the corrupt acts of most APC leaders, who as governors,
ministers and labour leaders have been the worst corrupt set of people
ever to bestride the political landscape of the country.

Otherwise, how else can one explain the deafening silence by the
government to the public outrage over the massive looting of public
funds by some past APC governors?

“How can the Federal Government explain its continued silence to the
current indignation in one of the prominent south west APC state over
corruption issues, including but not limited to alleged mismanagement of
N32 billion SURE-P fund; N78 million state money allegedly spent on the
personal website of a former APC governor, who is also accused of
inflating a N2.1 billion contract for the construction of pedestrian
bridges, N25 billion for 1.36 kilometre link bridge, US$200 million
World Bank education fund while leaving behind N500 billion debt arising
from alleged reckless spending?

“Why has the Federal Government maintained a sealed lips on charges of
looting, diversion of state funds as well as the embarrassing
accusations of stashing away of billion of naira state funds in foreign
banks by a former APC governor of a South South state?

“What about the reprehensible pillaging of state treasury by the last
APC administration in a prominent North West state, including the
alleged mismanagement of N10 billion belonging to pensioners, which that
government has failed to account for?

“What is the Federal Government’s stance on yet another prominent APC
governor in the Northwest who, as a former minister, was indicted by the
Senate for corrupt practices and embezzlement of over N32 billion
proceed from the sale of government property, for which he was
disgracefully declared unfit to hold public office by the highest law
making body in the land?

Apart from financial corruption, we draw the attention of Nigerians to
the corrupting of security and democratic institutions in Nigeria,
including the facts of nepotism in the appointment of an Acting Chairman
of INEC, a position unknown to the constitution, and a card-carrying
member of the APC as the Director General of the Directorate of State
Services (DSS), all in the bid to compromise the system to favour the
Presidency and APC interests.

  “We therefore challenge the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC
administration to show integrity and commitment in the fight against
corruption by first cleaning its house and coming out clear on the
numerous sleazes going on presently under its watch.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary