Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
while addressing a world press conference in
Abuja to mark the beginning of the war
against corruption in Nigeria yesterday
said that 55 Nigerians stole a combined
amount of N1.34 trillion between 2006 and
2013.
The minister said 15 former Governors stole
N146.84 billion; four former ministers stole N7
billion; 12 former public officers both at
Federal and State levels stole over N14 billion;
eight Nigerians in the banking sector - N524
billion , while 11 businessmen stole N653
billion.
The minister said that using World Bank rates
and costs, one-third of the stolen funds could
have provided 635.18 kilometres of roads; 36
ultra-modern hospitals per state; 183 schools;
educated 3,974 children from primary to
tertiary level at 25.24 million per child and
built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses.
He said:
“This is the money that a few people,
just 55 in number, allegedly stole within
a period of just eight years. And instead
of a national outrage, all we hear are
these nonsensical statements that the
government is fighting only the
opposition, or that the government is
engaging in vendetta.”
Adding that no person found to have stolen
public funds would go unpunished irrespective
of their political, religious or tribal
background.
He said:
“There is the erroneous impression out
there that the war against corruption is a
vendetta against the opposition, and that
indeed it is one-sided. This is not true
and indeed very nauseating. We need the
media to lead the campaign against
corruption.
“All we have heard from them are
ludicrous reasons why they partook in
sharing of the money. One said he
collected N4.5 billion for spiritual
purposes, another said he received N2.1
billion for publicity, while yet another said
he got N13 billion to pay someone else
for the Maritime University land.
“Based on these revelations, should we
now fold our hands and allow these
people to go away with public funds? Is
anyone thinking about the innocent
soldiers who lost their lives just because
they did not get the necessary weapons
to fight the terrorists?
“What about the families left behind by
these soldiers who were sent to their
early graves because of the
misappropriation of these funds? What
about those who lost their means of
livelihood after the terrorists overran their
towns and villages? What of the millions
of Nigerians, especially women and
children, who are now living in IDP
camps?
“Is it not clear that the cruel fate that
has befallen these unfortunate people is
a direct result of the misuse of the funds
meant to fight the terrorists? Are these
not the true costs of corruption? he
asked.
The minister pleaded with all Nigerians to join
hands with the government to tackle
corruption.
“As President Muhammadu Buhari likes
to say, if we don’t kill corruption,
corruption will kill Nigeria. There is no
better way to say it,” the minister said.
Vanguard
Comments