The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the reported naming of
President Muhammed Buhari as African Union (AU) anti-corruption champion
as laughable, derisory and eminently qualified as Africa’s joke of the
year.
The party said it was clear that leaders of the African Union were not
well briefed on happenings in Nigeria, including the heavy sleazes going
on around the Buhari presidency and was misled by the APC Federal
Government, which plans to use the naming as face-saving stunt for the
administration.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on
Monday, said it was embarrassing that the Presidency, in its desperation
to launder its irredeemably battered image, would resort to exporting
its deceptive proclivities to the international arena.
The party said the AU would not have honoured President Buhari if it
knew that what obtains in Nigeria is direct persecution of opposition
under the guise of war against corruption, while officials of his
government swim head deep in corruption under the overt protection of
the Presidency.
“As we speak, those receiving accolades as champions of anti corruption
have not yet cleared the air on the leaked memo detailing underhand oil
contracts to the tune of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) at the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of
Petroleum Resources which are under President Buhari’s direct
supervision as minister.
“They are yet to offer any explanation on series of reported fraud in
the oil sector including allegation of the use of 18 unregistered
companies to lift and divert N1.1trillion worth of crude oil in the last
one year to service APC interests.
“This is a government which has provided cover for its corrupt officials
including former state governors, who were indicted of looting funds
belonging to their states to sponsor their presidential election in 2015
as well as cronies openly indicted for other various sharp practices,
including padding of federal budget, secret oil subsidy deals and
stealing of funds meant for fight against insurgency and rehabilitation
of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“Perhaps AU leaders need to know that the Presidency has virtually
failed to do anything regarding the heinous diversion of N5 billion
meant for the IDPs under the Presidential Initiative on the Northeast
for which the Senate mounted a stiff investigation, only because
officials of APC government was indicted.
“They might also need to be shown the motion by Senator Baba Kaka Garba
from Borno Central, who exposed how some individuals, known to have
connections with the APC, fraudulently cornered N1.2 billion from the
Federal Government under the guise of supplying items to IDPs, only for
the money to be diverted for other purposes which are related to APC
interests.
“Furthermore, the AU might need to know that the former Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), who was openly indicted by the
Senate for stealing funds meant for IDP activities, was only arrested
after a public outcry but was quickly released with a pat on the wrist,
while opposition members facing similar charges are being detained and
persecuted with spurious charges in various courts.
“The truth lies bare that the Buhari administration is not engaging in
any fight against corruption but political witch-hunt of opposition,
while his government reeks with corruption,” the PDP submitted.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary