Press Conference By The National Publicity Secretary Of The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, Today, November 17, 2015 At
The PDP National Secretariat, Abuja.
Gentlemen of the Press, recall that the PDP in welcoming the new cabinet
adviced them to get focused and reduce the flip-flops common with the
government in the last six months.
We also adviced that in handling the affairs of governance, this
administration should endeavor to be honest truthful and open in its
dealing with Nigerians.
The PDP has watched with keen interest some disturbing recent
development, particularly, the exchange of words between the National
Assembly and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Executive over
the controversies surrounding the handling of the remittances in the
Treasury Single Account (TSA) as well as the conflicting statements
between the Presidency and INEC on the revelation of secret meetings
between the two bodies on Kogi governorship election.
On the controversies trailing the operations of the TSA, the conflicting
statements emanating from the federal executive, via the minister of
information and the CBN underscore the fear being raised by the Senate
that there may have been underhand deals in the process.
Whereas the Senate has ordered its committee on finance and public
accounts to investigate the remitting and handling of N2.5 trillion into
the TSA, the federal executive, through the minister of information, had
earlier informed the nation that the sum of N1.4 trillion has been
remitted, while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) put its figure at
below a trillion and announced an estimated collectable amount of N1.2
trillion.
The PDP finds this discordant tune and Monday’s brazen attack by the
minister of information on whistle blowers as completely unacceptable
and contradictory of a government that rode to power on the garb of ‘Mr.
Clean’.
This is addition to the fact that the firm handling the TSA remittances
has been given the leeway to rake millions of naira into unknown purses
from fees charged MDAs for training of their personnel involved in the
TSA.
The PDP challenges the present administration to show transparency and
be bold and honest enough to come out clear on the remittances and
operation of the TSA instead of trying to use the veneer of politics to
hide the rot already simmering under the APC administration.
Similarly, the PDP draws the attention of Nigerians and the
international community to the inconsistency in the denials by the
presidency and INEC regarding the revelation of their secret meetings to
plot the manipulation of Saturday’s Kogi state governorship election to
ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress. (APC).
While INEC outrightly denied ever holding any such meeting with the
Presidency, the President, through his media aide, Garba Shehu,
acknowledged holding the secret meeting, but said it lasted only five
minutes.
We ask, who do Nigerians believe; the Presidency or INEC? The fact
remains that the contradictions betray the element of conspiracy by this
APC administration to rig the Kogi governorship election.
We also wish to further expose the insincerity of this government, which
in its attempt to forcefully take-over Kogi state, is now flooding the
state with corrupt money ostensibly to sway the people and purchase
their mandate. This primitive attempt at vote-buying is not only an
insult on the people of Kogi state but also setback to efforts towards
credible elections in Nigeria.
This same government that prides itself of being incorruptible had in
addition to fielding persons facing corruption charges in Kogi and
Bayelsa governorship elections had earlier in Kebbi, fielded Governor
Atiku Bagudu, who falsely declared to INEC that he has never been
convicted, imprisoned or fined for any wrong doing, when in actual sense
there are records that he was indicted and is being wanted by the US
Justice Department, for which he is now facing pre-election charges at
the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The PDP invites Nigerians to note all these inconsistencies,
double-speaks and flip-flops as clear evidence of a government with a
dubious intention; even as it continues in the attempts to make
Nigerians believe that it is transparent in its dealings.
We wish to state categorically that the PDP has never made any claim or
any statement that has been contradicted by either the government or the
ruling party (beginning with our revelation that the Director General of
the DSS is a member of the APC, to the latest revelation of the secret
meeting between the Presidency and INEC on plots to rig the Kogi
governorship election).
The PDP will continue to show responsibility and caution in ensuring
that only facts that have been verified by the party are put out to the
public at all times. We will not indulge in falsehood as we continue in
our opposition role of putting this administration on check in the
general interest of the nation.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
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