The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate prosecution of the former minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud.
The party also demanded the immediate prosecution of the sacked executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof. Usman Yusuf, over allegations of misappropriation of N919 million as exposed by a ministerial panel.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, July 2 by Kola Ologbondiyan, national publicity secretary of the party, the PDP said that the duo must not be left off the hook because of their affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency.
The party insisted that Alhaji Lai Mohammed should be prosecuted alongside the already docked director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaji Modibbo Kawu, following his statement at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the ICPC had already indicated, in a press release, that Alhaji Lai Mohammed admitted in a statement to it, that he was “misled” by the director-general of the NBC, who was his subordinate, into approving the payment of the N2.5 billion to a private company.
“Our party therefore insists that since the ICPC holds that the former minister’s involvement had come under questioning, he should be made to explain himself in the dock, not as a witness but as a defendant in the matter.
“This is a former minister who was in a haste to publish names of innocent Nigerians as looters just because they are members of the PDP, while a humongous fraud simmered under his nose,” the party said.
Furthermore, the PDP stated that the dismissal of the NHIS boss has also vindicated its position that billions of naira belonging to the scheme and meant for the health needs of Nigerians was being frittered.
“The party therefore states that Prof. Yusuf must be prosecuted in order to track and recover the over N25 billion allegedly siphoned from the account of the Scheme in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to service APC interests,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, a recent media report indicates that one of the factors delaying the selection of President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial list is the serious internal wrangling/intrigues rocking the ruling party.
According to the report, the south-west zone is where intrigues are most contentious and the intra-party rivalry vicious.
Feelers are that Buhari, and indeed the presidency may have decided to keep the ministerial list discreet in order to fence the likes of National Leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and stop them from having undue influence and advantage.
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