Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, charged the National Assembly to scale up its oversight function on the handling of the COVID-19 social intervention funds in the interest of Nigerians.
A statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, tasked the lawmakers to be transparent in drawing from the treasury and be circumspect in approving any further foreign loans for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The opposition party also charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to set up special squads across the country to monitor the implementation of the palliatives and bring culprits to book.
The statement read: “This is in addition to anxieties that such officials are hiding under the demands of COVID-19 pandemic to mop up our international reserves as well as driving our nation into a frenzied $6.9 billion foreign borrowing, with no clear-cut terms.
“This is amidst allegations of plots by unscrupulous officials to manipulate the system and create channel for a slush fund that will be diverted to corrupt APC leaders and the cabal, while mortgaging the future of our nation’s generation yet unborn.
“Our party fears that there are attempts to hide under COVID-19 to empty our $3.4 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) saving, thereby leaving our nation dry,” it stated.