Information Minister, Mr. Lai Mohammed has so far borrowed over
N135million from the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC and other
agencies of Government for travels and Public Relations activities for the
Buhari’s administration, according to documents seen by
Pointblanknews.com.
Only recently released document from NBC shows that Mr. Mohammed had
requested to borrow N13million to travel to china, on an assignment he
says will be in the interest of the nation.
Sources within the Ministry of Information and Culture told
Pointblanknews.com that the Minister has so far borrowed more than is
known to the public.
According to a source who will not want to be named because he is not
authorized to speak to the Press, Mr. Mohammed has sent in several letters
to the NBC and some other parastatals under the Information and Culture
Ministry for loans claiming to need the funds to carry out “duties for the
government.”
“The Minister has sent out several letters to some agencies within out
Ministry and I can tell you, the money he has collected so far is more
than what has been reported. From the last letter I saw, he has collected
over N135million.
Pointblanknews.com gathered from inside sources that Mr. Mohammed has
become one of the richest Ministers in the Buhari’s Government from fees
he allegedly collects from Ministries and Agencies claiming to be handling
their Public Relations briefs.
The source also hinted that the information Minister goes around with cash
in the trunk of his newly acquired Mercedes G Wagon he drives around
Abuja, dolling them out to media men and those handling PR for the
Government.
“He does not only collect from agencies within the Ministry, he also
collects funds from other Ministries and Agencies to do PR work for them
too,” an information officer with one of the Ministries told
Pointblanknews.com.
SaharaReporters had published the memo from the Information Ministry to
the NBC requesting for a N13million loan for a Tourism investment drive to
China.
In a response to SaharaReporters questions about the loan, Mr. Mohammed
had said while he does not owe Nigerians an explanation about how he
spends tax payers’ money, “I am so disappointed that an internal memo like
that would be with SaharaReporters, it shows a lack of integrity in the
ministry.”
SaharaReporters had also asked whether multiple letters requesting “loans”
were also sent to various government agencies and parastatals under his
watch, which Mr. Mohammed replied, “I do not owe you an obligation or duty
to tell you that.”
But credible sources within the Ministry told Pointblanknews.com that Mr.
Lai Mohammed lied because he indeed has several other letters he directed
to be written requesting for loans.
Efforts by Pointblanknews.com to reach the Minister were not successful as
his phone line was not connecting.