FG lists more public fund looters
Atotal of N126 billion, over $1.5 billion and 5.5 million British Pounds was embezzled through the office of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the Federal Government revealed last night.
A good number of these monies, which excluded the $2.1 billion military equipment scandal in the same office, were shared to top military brass, some former governors and ministers as well as companies without any formal contract awards, the government said.
Top on the list of beneficiaries are former Petroleum Resources Minister Dieziani Alison-Madukwe, two former Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah and Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; former Chief of Defence
Staff, Alex Badeh; former CG Customs Inde Dikko; Air Marshal Adesola Amosun; Senator Bala Abdulkadir, former FCT Minister: N5 billion. Interim
forfeiture order on some property secured; Senator Stella Oduah; former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu; Senator Jonah Jang, former Plateau State Governor and Bashir Yuguda, former Minister of State for Finance.
Others are Rasheed Ladoja, former Oyo Governor; Tom Ikimi; Femi Fani-Kayode and Nenadi Usman both former ministers; a former pamanent secretary, Godknows Igali; Senator Peter Nwaboshi; Aliyu Usman and Ahmad Idris both former NSA Dasuki’s aides; Hassan Tukur, former PPS to President Goodluck Jonathan; Benedicta Iroha and Aliyu Usman Jawaz: Close ally of former NSA Dasuki.
Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed released the list and the funds they allegedly collected.
The minister on Friday released a list containing six names which he said was based on verifiable facts, including the amount involved, the date the amount in question was collected and from where it was taken.
The minister in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, said the earlier list was strategically released as a teaser and that was why the number of looters on it was short.
He said that PDP’s reaction to the looters’ list has shown that its recent apology is an electioninduced act, contrived to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019
general election, even when it has not come clean on its looting spree during its time in office.
The minister said the Federal Government had a large number of alleged looters on its list adding that the earlier list was a tip of the iceberg.
“Apparently, this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand, or just to shoot down anything coming from the government’’.
Alhaji Mohammed slammed the PDP for daring to challenge the Federal Government over “an issue that the party knows is its weakness: Looting of public treasury.
“What was the PDP expecting when it challenged the FG to name the looters of the public treasury under the party’s watch?
“Did the PDP actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke? Did they think it is April Fool?’’ he queried.
Alhaji Mohammed said the party should have owned up to its mistakes and followed the footsteps of one of its former leaders, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who owned up to his role in the party’s rigging in the past elections adding that the party was hysterical and panicking which shows it is not sincere about its apology.