Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has challenged the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to make public names of the 15
former governor and 55 Nigerians that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion
between 2006 and 2013 or keep his mouth shut permanently.
He said; “The reality is that the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Federal Government has destroyed the economy within eight months in
power and rather than look for solutions to the problems facing
Nigeria, Lai Mohammed and his cohorts are branding bogus figures about
stolen money just to cover up their lack of solution to the country’s
economic problems.”
The governor, who also described as disgraceful, bringing the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh to
court in handcuff, said; “Even the masterminds of Mandala and Nyanya
bomb blasts, Kabiru Sokoto and Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche were not handcuffed
when they were arraigned in court.”
In a statement, Governor Fayose said it was funny that
close to one year after it won the presidential election, the
President Mohammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) federal
government was still operating as if it was campaigning for votes.
The governor said; “They are turning governance to Nollywood, such
that when one movie is about to end, they release another one. As it
appears that the $2.1 billion arms deal movie is getting to an end,
Lai Mohammed introduced another movie titled; N1.34 trillion loot.
“Unfortunately for them this time around, Nigerians have become tired
of watching the Federal Government movies, they now want reality.
Nigerians are now aware of the scam in the $2.1 billion arms deal
movie having seen that the amount those already charged to court were
charged with is not more than N10 billion and $2.1 billion is over
N600 billion.
“Therefore, Lai Mohammed must either tell Nigerians details of the 15
former governors and 55 people that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion,
where the stolen money is kept and bring back the money or apologise
to Nigerians for lying.”
While describing the persistent claim by the federal government that
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) destroyed Nigeria for 16 years as
hypocritical, Governor Fayose said Nigerians must begin to ask which
party majority of those presently ruling the country under the APC
government were between 1999 and 2014.
“Majority of those who ran the Federal Government between 1999 and
2003 under the PDP are in the APC government today. President, vice
president, ministers, governors, senators and House of Reps members
who were part of the PDP government are now in APC. Yet, APC keeps
telling Nigerians that PDP ruined the country. This hypocrisy must
stop,” he said.
The governor, who insisted that due process of the law must be
followed in fighting corruption, noted that disobedience to court
orders itself is a criminal offence that is more grievous than
corruption.
He said no amount of harassment and intimidation will silence
opposition in the country, saying President Buhari and his men should
rather get used to the reality that opposition must exist in a
democracy.