FG lists Names of Looters, PDP Kicks

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed as hollow and laughable the list of looters released by the Federal Government, Punch reports.

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had on Friday released a list containing the names of alleged looters.

Mohammed, speaking during the release, stated that some people on the list are seeking a plea bargain. He said:

The PDP has challenged us to name the looters under their watch. They said they did not loot the treasury.

Well, I am sure they know that the treasury was looted dry under their watch. Yet they decided to grandstand. This shows the hollowness of their apology. This list is just a tip of the iceberg, and the PDP is aware of this. We did not make these cases up. Many of these cases are in court and the records are available.

Some of the people on this list are seeking to plea bargain, and that is a fact. We insist that Nigeria was looted blind under the watch of the PDP and that the starting point in tendering an apology is for them to return the loot.

It’s like a robber admitting to stealing your car and apologising, but then saying he will keep the car anyway. It doesn’t work that way. The PDP is a hypocrite. And that reminds me of what English writer, William Hazlitt, said: “The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.”

We will not stop talking about the massive looting by the PDP. They brought Nigeria to this sorry pass. We are now looking around for loans to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. we will talk about it.

The PDP, reacting to the list, described it as an extension of the government’s media trial.

None of the persons listed have been convicted by the court, the party said.

The list is “a cheap blackmail as none of those listed had been indicted or convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction or any panel of enquiry in our country.”

The Buhari-led Federal Government has manifested its frenzy by going after matters that are in court and in which none of the persons have been convicted, thus betraying their wickedness and desperation to mislead the public, the court and divert attention from the heavy looting involving their members.

We are not in doubt that the individuals he has mentioned will take their legitimate stride and pursue appropriate action in the court.

See the list below:

1. PDP chairman Uche Secondus:
   On the 19th of Feb 2015, he took N200 million only from the office of the NSA.
2. Former PDP financial secretary:
   On the 24th of Oct 2014, he took N600 million only from the office of former NSA
3. Former national publicity secretary Olisa Metuh:
   On trial for allegedly collecting N1.4bn from the office of former NSA
4. Raymond Dokpesi, chairman of DAAR Communications:
   On trial for allegedly taking N2.1 billion from the office of the former NSA
5. Former SSA to president Goodluck Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei:
   On trial, over N830 million allegedly kept in accounts of four different companies
6. Former president Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin Robert Azibaola:
   Allegedly collected $40 million from the office of former NSA