- Those sharing Abacha loot are armed robbers, Galadima insists
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The Presidency last night chided the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari was relooting the $322 million recovered from Switzerland by his government.
This is coming as a spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Buba Galadima, has declared that those who share money in the market, unappropriated money, unbudgeted money, from the so-called Abacha Loot are armed robbers.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, accused the party of lying with the assumption that its alleged corrupt nature would be overshadowed by blackmailing others.
According to him, the party’s idea is to create the impression that everyone is involved in corruption and by so doing, assume that Nigerians will overlook its misdeeds.
Shehu said the $322 million looted by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and repatriated from Switzerland is being used for conditional cash transfer.
He explained that the World Bank was not only monitoring the use of the fund in accordance with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed before its release but also supporting the initiative.
He advised Nigerians not to be misled by the main opposition party, which he said had taken corruption as a tradition.
“Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued spreading lies about the Buhari administration in the mistaken assumption that its toga of corruption will dissipate if it succeeded in black painting every other person as corrupt. The strategy is to make corruption appear as normative and that everyone is equally involved.
“They think by so doing, Nigerians will forgive them for their sins. This is a huge mistake. The PDP has become an ill-wind on the country today and the elections next year present the citizens an excellent opportunity to save the country from it.
“We can’t imagine a sane organisation shamelessly telling Nigerians that President Buhari is looting, as they themselves did of the recovered loot, the $322 million lately recovered from the Abacha family. This is an irresponsible lie.
“The $322 million recovered is being used to make the Conditional Cash Transfer ( CCT) of a monthly amount of N5,000 to more than 300,000 poor homes across the country under the Social Investment Program introduced by the Buhari administration.
“This is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the governments of Nigeria and Switzerland as a condition for releasing the funds.
“As part of the MoU, the World Bank is monitoring the application of the funds.
“It is also important that the World Bank has equally given an additional facility to support the on-going cash transfers.
“Nigerians are hereby advised to be watchful of what comes out from the opposition, not to be misled into voting for a party that sees nothing wrong with corruption and would rather have everyone drenched in its colors, as they irretrievably are.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Buba Galadima, has declared that those who share money in the market, unappropriated money, unbudgeted money, from the so-called Abacha Loot are armed robbers.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme yesterday, Galadima also criticised the federal government’s TraderMoni scheme.“You have waylaid me by bringing an advert promoting APC in this programme where I participate which I rarely afford to, however, I will want to say that sharing of money, TradaMoni, in the market has a history and the history is that can you remember Lawrence Anini in Benin who was sharing money in the market?,” Galadima said.
“Those who share money in the market, unappropriated money, unbudgeted money, from the so-called Abacha Loot are armed robbers because they are doing something that they cannot account for”.
