The PDP had asked the APC to respond to cases of alleged corruption involving President Buhari’s cronies, instead of making wild allegations against it.
Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reminded the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it lacked the rectitude to criticise the ruling party’s anti-corruption fight as its corruption stench still suffocates Nigerians.
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Apparently responding to the request from the PDP to react to the alleged discovery of large volume of cash at the home of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, APC chided the opposition party.
The PDP had asked the APC to respond to cases of alleged corruption involving President Buhari’s cronies, instead of making wild allegations against it.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a Whatsapp message to our correspondent, yesterday, challenged the APC to address the case of the N21 billion allegedly found in the residence of Daura, among others.
“They should respond to humongous allegation of President Buhari’s ally, the sacked DSS DG, Daura’s N21 billion cash and other sundry items including PVCs allegedly found in his house.
“They should tell Nigerians how the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, escaped National Service and forged exemption certificate to cover up. Yet, Mr. Integrity did not find anything wrong with that,” Ologbondiyan stated.
But the ruling party, in statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, argued that the PDP has failed in its opposition role.
“In both content and context, PDP’s latest allegations on the President Buhari administration’s anti-corruption efforts should be seen for what they are: empty, baseless and diversionary.
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“It is truly amazing that the party of a failed government which held the country prostrate for 16 years, stole, wasted and misappropriated our abundant resources will have the audacity to make comments on the current administration that within three years is clearing the rot left after the PDP’s misrule.
“Instead of apologising profusely for their gang rape of the nation, the PDP seeks to present itself before Nigerians in 2019 to seek a return to their stealing. The PDP should understand that Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry how the country was destroyed by the PDP’s gang of pen robbers.
“The PDP may wish to explain to Nigerians under which administration a governor who was set free in many courts in Nigeria on charges of corruption and money laundering but was tried and jailed in the United Kingdom.
“Is it not ironic that the PDP preaches about corruption in the oil sector when it in fact oversaw record pillage, maladministration and disrepair of the oil sector when it held sway. The PDP should remind Nigerians the circumstances under which the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, lost his job in the bank.
“How many millions of dollars did he say was not remitted to the nation’s coffers on regular basis? The PDP may also explain the fuel subsidy scandals and how billions of the country’s funds went into private pockets; the massive seizures of properties and cash from public officers who served in the PDP Government.
“In 2015, Nigerians voted massively for the establishment of a truly progressive government to check the shocking level of impunity, corruption, disregard for the rule of law and other deplorable undemocratic practices which previously defined our national life. The APC assures all Nigerians that the President hold sacred this collective trust.
“Despite spirited efforts to discredit ongoing anti-corruption efforts, the war against graft is being won. An often overlooked major achievement of the anti-corruption war is that President Buhari has brought the issue of corruption to the heart of national consciousness.
“The fact that Nigerians are talking about it means we have not accepted it as a way of life and as long as ordinary people continue to show that disdain for corruption, we would win the war sooner
or later.
“Under President Buhari, the country has never had it so good. Yearly remittances by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) have been in billions of Naira, over and above what PDP governments remitted in 16 years; increasing yearly revenue from the Customs Service; within three years and despite low oil prices, execution of massive road and rail infrastructure our foreign reserves has grown to over $47 billion – about $4 billion more than that of South Africa.”