The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party have continued to attack each other.
The APC, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Sunday, August 16, alleged that about $56bn (N11.02tn) was looted during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, The Punch reports.
The party gave list of instances of looting under Jonathan’s administration to include the N3.8 trillion out of the N8.1 trillion earned from crude oil (2012-2015), which was withheld by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); the $2.1 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA) unaccounted for and the Department of Petroleum Resources’ (DPR) unremitted N109.7 billion royalty from oil firms.
Others were $6 billion allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration and the 160 billion barrels of crude worth $13.9 billion lost between 2009 and 2012.
Others were the $15 million from botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13 billion in Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30 billion rice waiver and N183 billion unaccounted for at the Niger- Delta Development Commission (NNDC).
The party said, to fulfill the change promised by the APC, there was a need for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to recover the stolen funds, while condemning those telling the president not to waste his time probing the past administration.
In a swift reaction, the PDP described Mohammed’s statement as “reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative,” Nigerian Tribune reports.
The party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the figures released by the APC were imaginary, adding that the baseless fabrications by the APC were “capable of throwing an unsuspecting nation into chaos.”
Nigerian Tribune front page, August 17, 2015
The PDP therefore, advised the APC-led government to get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt person, instead of spreading baseless lies.
The Guardian reports that former coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala has reacted to allegations over the diversion of about $1 billion Lagos-Kano Chinese rail line project loan.
In a statement clarifying her position on the funds, Okonjo-Iweala described the allegations as untrue.
She explained that the China EximBank loan is not domiciled at the Federal Ministry of Finance but directly disbursed to the Chinese contractors handling the projects based on a satisfactory project assessment report by the supervising Federal Ministry of Transport.
According to her, linking her to the alleged diversion was part of a grand design by some desperate Nigerians who have been mounting a campaign of calumny against her.
In other news, the building which was meant to house the vice president and one the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration’s star projects, seems to have been abandoned, after N7billion has already been spent on it, The Nation reports.
According to report, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) abandoned the project, following the refusal of the 7th Senate to accept the inflation of the contract sum by N9 billion.
The contract was awarded in 2009 at N7billion. But in 2012, Sen. Bala Mohammed, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), requested for N9billion more to complete the project.
Report has it that the project is yet to reach 80 per cent completion and no fresh work had been done on the site since 2013. The abandoned residence has now been overtaken by weeds, while reptiles are moving freely at the site.
Daily Sun reports that President Buhari is set to lead the war against terrorism in the country.
As a special guest of honour, Buhari will service chiefs and heads of other security agencies, to the national security summit organized by the Nigeria police, in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Limited, which holds in Abuja today.
At the summit, with the theme, ‘Community Partnership Approach to Internal Security and Crime Management,’ the president is expected to chart a way forward in the fight against terrorism, while the Royal Father of the day, Sultan of Sokoto, Amirul Mumineen Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, will give a keynote address.
The APC, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Sunday, August 16, alleged that about $56bn (N11.02tn) was looted during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, The Punch reports.
The party gave list of instances of looting under Jonathan’s administration to include the N3.8 trillion out of the N8.1 trillion earned from crude oil (2012-2015), which was withheld by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); the $2.1 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA) unaccounted for and the Department of Petroleum Resources’ (DPR) unremitted N109.7 billion royalty from oil firms.
Others were $6 billion allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration and the 160 billion barrels of crude worth $13.9 billion lost between 2009 and 2012.
Others were the $15 million from botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13 billion in Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30 billion rice waiver and N183 billion unaccounted for at the Niger- Delta Development Commission (NNDC).
The party said, to fulfill the change promised by the APC, there was a need for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to recover the stolen funds, while condemning those telling the president not to waste his time probing the past administration.
In a swift reaction, the PDP described Mohammed’s statement as “reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative,” Nigerian Tribune reports.
The party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the figures released by the APC were imaginary, adding that the baseless fabrications by the APC were “capable of throwing an unsuspecting nation into chaos.”
Nigerian Tribune front page, August 17, 2015
The PDP therefore, advised the APC-led government to get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt person, instead of spreading baseless lies.
The Guardian reports that former coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala has reacted to allegations over the diversion of about $1 billion Lagos-Kano Chinese rail line project loan.
In a statement clarifying her position on the funds, Okonjo-Iweala described the allegations as untrue.
She explained that the China EximBank loan is not domiciled at the Federal Ministry of Finance but directly disbursed to the Chinese contractors handling the projects based on a satisfactory project assessment report by the supervising Federal Ministry of Transport.
According to her, linking her to the alleged diversion was part of a grand design by some desperate Nigerians who have been mounting a campaign of calumny against her.
In other news, the building which was meant to house the vice president and one the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration’s star projects, seems to have been abandoned, after N7billion has already been spent on it, The Nation reports.
According to report, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) abandoned the project, following the refusal of the 7th Senate to accept the inflation of the contract sum by N9 billion.
The contract was awarded in 2009 at N7billion. But in 2012, Sen. Bala Mohammed, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), requested for N9billion more to complete the project.
Report has it that the project is yet to reach 80 per cent completion and no fresh work had been done on the site since 2013. The abandoned residence has now been overtaken by weeds, while reptiles are moving freely at the site.
Daily Sun reports that President Buhari is set to lead the war against terrorism in the country.
As a special guest of honour, Buhari will service chiefs and heads of other security agencies, to the national security summit organized by the Nigeria police, in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Limited, which holds in Abuja today.
At the summit, with the theme, ‘Community Partnership Approach to Internal Security and Crime Management,’ the president is expected to chart a way forward in the fight against terrorism, while the Royal Father of the day, Sultan of Sokoto, Amirul Mumineen Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, will give a keynote address.
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