Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja
The federal government monday alleged that between 2006 and 2013, 55 persons stole a total of N1.34 trillion in Nigeria, an amount that it said was more than a quarter of the 2015 national budget.
Making the revelation at a press briefing in Abuja, organised to kick-start the national sensitisation campaign against corruption, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said if the period is stretched to 2015, the total amount stolen would be about N3.2 trillion.
He said of the stolen funds, 15 former governors allegedly stole N146.84 billion; four former ministers allegedly stole N7 billion; 12 former public servants, both at federal and state levels, allegedly stole over N14 billion; eight people in the banking industry allegedly stole N524 billion; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole N653 billion, but failed to name any of them.
He added: “Using the World Bank rates and costs, one third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18 kilometres of roads; built 36 ultramodern hospitals, that is one ultramodern hospital per state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at N25.24 million per child; and built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses.
“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.”
Commenting on the issue of the $2.1 billion arms deal, the minister said irrespective of what anyone might say, the funds meant to fight terrorism were deployed to another “fight” – the fight to keep then President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in power at all cost.
“So far, based on what we know, no one who has been accused of partaking in the sharing of the funds has denied receiving money. 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,” the minister stated.
“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?” he demanded to know.
Mohammed said irrespective of political, religious or tribal leanings, and not minding whether anyone belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP, Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Labour Party, “if you have stolen public funds, you must not go scot-free”.
He urged all Nigerians and every arm of government to “rise up and be counted in this epic war, and defeat is not an option if our country is to survive; 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 Buhari was leading this fight by example and right from the front, adding: “His unparalleled integrity, his uncommon love of country and his undiluted dedication to service all puts him in good stead to wage this war, and we must all support him and own the war in order to ensure its success. This is not Buhari’s war.
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