The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the National Assembly to immediately open an investigation into alleged siphoning of over N10trillion by those it described as the cabal in the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency.
The party said the sleaze was concealed under the tenure of the erstwhile Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.
It would be recalled that the former Finance Minister resigned her appointment after being embroiled in a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), certificate scandal, a development she blamed on ‘close associates’.
However, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, PDP urged the National Assembly to launch an investigation into the alleged sleaze which it claimed was perpetrated under the former minister’s tenure.
The party insisted that the former minister must be made to answer to explain how “$321 million (N115billion) repatriated by Switzerland was opened up for relooting by the Presidency cabal and corrupt APC leaders.”
It accused the President of shielding corrupt officials under his party and government and called for an integrity test on all APC officials.
The statement further reads thus: “The PDP said its position is predicated on allegations that the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC), being aware of the former minister’s NYSC Exemption certificate liability, used her to conduit the siphoning of trillions of naira from the national treasury.
“The party urges the parliament to probe the books of the Finance Ministry during Adeosun’s tenure as well as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which is under President Buhari to expose those behind the N9trillion fraudulent oil contracts detailed in the NNPC leaked memo, the N1.4trillion fraudulent oil subsidy regime; the alleged diverted N1.1trillion worth of crude oil through 18 illegal companies linked with APC interests, among others.
“The PDP also insists that Mrs. Adeosun must be made to explain how the $321million (N115billion) repatriated by Switzerland was opened up for relooting by the Presidency cabal and corrupt APC leaders, at the same time she was in the media telling Nigerians that the funds were being transferred to the poor and vulnerable households under a discredited social safety nets system.
“Mrs. Adeosun must also be made to tell Nigerians how a cabinet minister close to President Buhari directly stole $16.9million (about N7billion) from the returned $321million as non-existent legal fees before the fund became an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for members of the Presidency cabal and APC leaders.
“The former minister should also be made to expose where the pressure that compromised the system for the stealing of over N25billion National Health Insurance Scheme fund (NHIS) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) was initiated.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that President Buhari, as “Mr. Integrity” has refused to order any investigation into huge allegations of corruption and stealing under his watch, particularly those in the petroleum sector, where he directly presides as minister.
“In fact, the Presidency has suddenly gone dumb after the PDP challenged President Buhari to start his declaration to jail looters by allowing an open inquest into the Petroleum Ministry, as well as allegations of corruption against his ministers, special advisers, and leaders of his party. Since it has become clear that Mr. President is providing official cover for corruption under his regime, the PDP urges the National Assembly to subject all officials of the Buhari administration to an integrity test, as Nigerians can no longer bear consequences of a pretentious administration run by very corrupt individuals and fraudulent characters.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accepted the resignation of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun from office as Minister of Finance, but insists on her immediate arrest and prosecution for deserting national service and forging the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate in addition to alleged impropriety and abuse of office as minister.
A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, at the weekend, urged “Nigerians to note that President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration has become notorious for shielding its many fraudulent and corrupt officials, could not summon the rectitude to sack Mrs. Adeosun,” adding that “she would have still been in office, if not for the sustained uproar by Nigerians and international creditors.
“Our investigations reveal that the Federal Government, which earlier made efforts to defend Mrs. Adeosun, has already perfected a plot to help her to evade prosecution following fears that she could open up on the humongous corruption going on in the financial sector under the Buhari administration.
“The PDP is also aware of plots by the Federal Government to secretly move her out of the country, and for that, we urge the international community to be at alert and ensure she is repatriated to face justice in Nigeria should the Federal Government succeeds in its devious plan.
“Furthermore, we are also aware that President Buhari was not by any measure prepared to drop her from his cabinet but for the demand by those responsible for her appointment, who protested her continued stay in office, although for their own selfish gains. A case of corruption fighting back!
“The PDP, therefore, demands an immediate open inquest into the records of the Finance Ministry under Mrs. Adeosun, to unravel all improprieties by the Buhari Presidency cabal, including alleged diversion of oil proceeds, fraudulent oil subsidy deals, leading to high fuel price; depletion of our foreign reserves, embezzling of funds returned by Switzerland and other huge sleazes in the ministry.
“The party also insists that President Buhari must be held responsible for all infractions in the Finance Ministry under Adeosun, as he appointed and retained her despite having information on the certificate forgery; a situation that confirms the decadence and lack of due diligence in the Buhari Presidency.
“Nigerians already know that the Buhari Presidency is a citadel of iniquity with inherent proficiency in stealing, forgery and manipulation of processes. This perhaps explains why President Buhari has not relieved his Special Assistant on Prosecution and Chairman of the Special Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla of his appointment in spite of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) confirmation that he forged his Secondary School Certificate.
“Is it not clear to all that the Buhari administration’s so-called anti-corruption war and purported integrity are mere orchestrations to hoodwink Nigerians and the international community, while Mr. President oversees the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation?”, the party asked.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has asked Nigerians not to be deceived by the resignation.
Speaking with newsmen, in Abuja, in reaction to her resignation, last Friday, Secondus said Adeosun’s resignation was even belated; asking why the President refused to fire the minister until she willingly resigned on her own volition after the media exposed her fake NYSC certificate.
He said the resignation of the minister was due to pressure from Nigerians.
Secondus said, “The resignation is belated. Why did the President keep her all this while when the scandal broke out?
“Why didn’t he, I mean the President, asked that the woman be investigated and even suspended if he was serious about the fight against corruption?
“We are aware of some lawyers that mounted pressure on the Presidency before the woman was forced to resign. The forced resignation was because of the 2019 presidential election, which we all know the President will lose.
“But if the President is serious, he should have asked the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to order the prosecution of the minister and all those that helped her to procure the fake NYSC discharge certificate.”