PDP TO LAI: ADDRESS THE MISSING 25 BILLION USD UNDER BUHARI

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has called on Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to address the issue of missing 25 billion USD contained in the leaked memo by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, where President Muhammed Buhari serves as minister and other fraudulent allegations, running into trillions of Naira.

The PDP made the call following what it described as desparaging remarks by the minister and other government’s aides on the person of its Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, whom the party said has never been indicted for corrupt practices.

“Lai Mohammed fails to note that Nigerians are aware that, while our candidate, Atiku Abubakar has never been indicted for corruption or facing any corruption charge, President Buhari is now overburdened by indictments and allegations of humongous corruption, for which he has failed to provide explanations.

“Since Lai Mohammed is talking about era of corruption, we charge him to speak up on the leaked memo detailing the stealing of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) through underhand oil contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Petroleum, under President Buhari’s direct supervision.

“Lai Mohammed should speak up on the alleged siphoning of N1.4 trillion through sleazy oil subsidy regimes and those benefitting from the alleged N58 hidden tax per liter which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increase from N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.
Lai Mohammed should speak up on why the Buhari Presidency is suppressing investigation into alleged use of 18 unregistered companies to lift and divert N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in 2017 and the President’s alleged link with the beneficiaries of this fraud.

“Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how the Buhari era allegedly presided over the stealing of over N18 billion from the funds approved for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and rebuilding of six northeast states ravaged by insurgency?

“Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how over N25 billion meant for health needs of Nigerians was stolen by the Presidency cabal from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and how the same cabal siphoned the $322 million repatriated by Switzerland, under the guise of sharing the funds to the poor?”, the PDP said in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan.

According to PDP, t is only in an administration like the Buhari Presidency that thrives on lies and deception that characters like Lai Mohammed, with his proclivities, can be minister.

“This is the same person, who nearly caused a national crisis when he, in May 2015, accused former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of frustrating the activities of then Transition Committee only for the head of the APC team, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, to declare that that the team had all the cooperation from the PDP.

“This is the same Lai Mohammed, who, in 2014, alleged that the PDP denied a plane carrying a state governor from landing in Ado Ekiti to attend the APC Governorship election rally in the state only for the State Government to debunk the lie stating that the governor did not travel to Ekiti but was attending official functions in the state.

“This is the same minister that has not been able to explain the circumstances surrounding his attempt to obtain over N13 million from the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) under the mask of a “loan”, against budgetary approvals and principles of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)”, the party said, adding that in as much as the PDP remains committed to issue-based campaign ahead of 2019 elections, it will not by any means tolerate further lies and fabrications from the Buhari Presidency, particularly from agents who have no ethical substance to make allegations against any Nigerian.

The PDP counsels the Buhari Presidency and the APC to shed their resort to lies, falsehood and smear campaign and get prepared to face an inevitable crushing defeat, come 2019.