In a statement issued in Abuja, on Monday,
January 18, by Segun Adeyemi, the special
assistant to the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a copy obtained
by Naij.com, the federal government appealed to
the media to join hands with it in sensitizing
Nigerians on the damages corruption had done to
the nation.
Mohammed, made the appeal on Monday while
kick-starting the National Sensitization Campaign
Against Corruption at a press conference in
Abuja.
The Minister, who warned that unless Nigeria
kills corruption, the vice is capable of killing
Nigeria added that to ensure the success of the
campaign, the media need to replicate the
support they are giving to the federal government
in its ongoing National Security Awareness
Campaign.
“Thanks to the support we have received from
the media, especially in this (National Security)
Sensitization Campaign, I can now tell you that
Nigerians have taken ownership of the war
against terrorism and are also giving their
undiluted support to our gallant military. I
commend the media for heeding our patriotic call
to duty at a critical time in the life of our nation.
”Gentlemen, we are here today because of
another patriotic call to duty. We want the media
to once again lead the campaign to sensitize
Nigerians to take possession of another war –
the war against corruption,” he said.
The minister reiterated the need to change the
narrative on corruption, especially what he
described as the wrong impression out there that
the war against corruption is being fought only
by the President or the federal government or the
governing All Progressive Congress (APC), or the
orchestrated misinformation that the war against
corruption is a vendetta against the opposition,
and that indeed it is one-sided.
Mohammed said Nigerians must be made to
know the damage that corruption “has done to
our nation, our people and our international
image, how corruption stifles economic growth,
hinders the fight against poverty, leads to decay
in infrastructure and reduces educational
standards, lowers life expectancy, stunts the
fight against maternal and infant mortality and
impacts negatively on the general livelihood of
the citizens. No one is better placed than you,
the media, to lead this charge.”
He disclosed that between 2006 and 2013, 55
people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira
in Nigeria, an amount that is more than a quarter
of the 2015 national budget!
“Out of the stolen funds, 15 former Governors
allegedly stole 146.84 billion naira; 4 former
Ministers allegedly stole 7 billion naira; 12 former
Public Servants, both at federal and state levels,
allegedly stole over 14 billion Naira; 8 people in
the Banking Industry allegedly stole 524 billion
Naira; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole 653
billion naira.
“Using World Bank Rates and Costs, one third of
the stolen funds could have provided 635.18
kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern
hospitals, that is one ultra modern hospital per
state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children
from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 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,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of the 2.1 billion dollar
arms deal, Mohammed said irrespective of what
anyone might say, there is no doubt that funds
meant to fight terrorism were deployed to
another ‘fight,’ the fight to keep the then
president Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the
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 4.5 billion Naira for spiritual
purposes, another said he received 2.1 billion
naira for publicity, while yet another said he got
13 billion Naira to pay someone else for the
Maritime University land.
“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 queried.
Mohammed said irrespective of political, religious
or tribal leanings, and not minding whether
anyone belongs to the APC, PDP, 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.”
READ ALSO: APC Defends Oyegun
The Minister said President Buhari is 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 put 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. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s
war.”
He also appealed to the Judiciary, which he said
is critical to the success of the war, saying
unless everyone in the judiciary fully joins in
waging this war, the pending cases of corruption
will just drag on until they outlast this
administration.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Rivers state has accused Governor Nyesom
Wike of abandoning all construction aIn a statement issued in Abuja, on Monday,
January 18, by Segun Adeyemi, the special
assistant to the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a copy obtained
by Naij.com, the federal government appealed to
the media to join hands with it in sensitizing
Nigerians on the damages corruption had done to
the nation.
Mohammed, made the appeal on Monday while
kick-starting the National Sensitization Campaign
Against Corruption at a press conference in
Abuja.
The Minister, who warned that unless Nigeria
kills corruption, the vice is capable of killing
Nigeria added that to ensure the success of the
campaign, the media need to replicate the
support they are giving to the federal government
in its ongoing National Security Awareness
Campaign.
“Thanks to the support we have received from
the media, especially in this (National Security)
Sensitization Campaign, I can now tell you that
Nigerians have taken ownership of the war
against terrorism and are also giving their
undiluted support to our gallant military. I
commend the media for heeding our patriotic call
to duty at a critical time in the life of our nation.
”Gentlemen, we are here today because of
another patriotic call to duty. We want the media
to once again lead the campaign to sensitize
Nigerians to take possession of another war –
the war against corruption,” he said.
The minister reiterated the need to change the
narrative on corruption, especially what he
described as the wrong impression out there that
the war against corruption is being fought only
by the President or the federal government or the
governing All Progressive Congress (APC), or the
orchestrated misinformation that the war against
corruption is a vendetta against the opposition,
and that indeed it is one-sided.
Mohammed said Nigerians must be made to
know the damage that corruption “has done to
our nation, our people and our international
image, how corruption stifles economic growth,
hinders the fight against poverty, leads to decay
in infrastructure and reduces educational
standards, lowers life expectancy, stunts the
fight against maternal and infant mortality and
impacts negatively on the general livelihood of
the citizens. No one is better placed than you,
the media, to lead this charge.”
He disclosed that between 2006 and 2013, 55
people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira
in Nigeria, an amount that is more than a quarter
of the 2015 national budget!
“Out of the stolen funds, 15 former Governors
allegedly stole 146.84 billion naira; 4 former
Ministers allegedly stole 7 billion naira; 12 former
Public Servants, both at federal and state levels,
allegedly stole over 14 billion Naira; 8 people in
the Banking Industry allegedly stole 524 billion
Naira; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole 653
billion naira.
“Using World Bank Rates and Costs, one third of
the stolen funds could have provided 635.18
kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern
hospitals, that is one ultra modern hospital per
state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children
from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 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,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of the 2.1 billion dollar
arms deal, Mohammed said irrespective of what
anyone might say, there is no doubt that funds
meant to fight terrorism were deployed to
another ‘fight,’ the fight to keep the then
president Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the
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 4.5 billion Naira for spiritual
purposes, another said he received 2.1 billion
naira for publicity, while yet another said he got
13 billion Naira to pay someone else for the
Maritime University land.
“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 queried.
Mohammed said irrespective of political, religious
or tribal leanings, and not minding whether
anyone belongs to the APC, PDP, 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.”
READ ALSO: APC Defends Oyegun
The Minister said President Buhari is 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 put 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. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s
war.”
He also appealed to the Judiciary, which he said
is critical to the success of the war, saying
unless everyone in the judiciary fully joins in
waging this war, the pending cases of corruption
will just drag on until they outlast this
administration.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Rivers state has accused Governor Nyesom
Wike of abandoning all construction aIn a statement issued in Abuja, on Monday,
January 18, by Segun Adeyemi, the special
assistant to the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a copy obtained
by Naij.com, the federal government appealed to
the media to join hands with it in sensitizing
Nigerians on the damages corruption had done to
the nation.
Mohammed, made the appeal on Monday while
kick-starting the National Sensitization Campaign
Against Corruption at a press conference in
Abuja.
The Minister, who warned that unless Nigeria
kills corruption, the vice is capable of killing
Nigeria added that to ensure the success of the
campaign, the media need to replicate the
support they are giving to the federal government
in its ongoing National Security Awareness
Campaign.
“Thanks to the support we have received from
the media, especially in this (National Security)
Sensitization Campaign, I can now tell you that
Nigerians have taken ownership of the war
against terrorism and are also giving their
undiluted support to our gallant military. I
commend the media for heeding our patriotic call
to duty at a critical time in the life of our nation.
”Gentlemen, we are here today because of
another patriotic call to duty. We want the media
to once again lead the campaign to sensitize
Nigerians to take possession of another war –
the war against corruption,” he said.
The minister reiterated the need to change the
narrative on corruption, especially what he
described as the wrong impression out there that
the war against corruption is being fought only
by the President or the federal government or the
governing All Progressive Congress (APC), or the
orchestrated misinformation that the war against
corruption is a vendetta against the opposition,
and that indeed it is one-sided.
Mohammed said Nigerians must be made to
know the damage that corruption “has done to
our nation, our people and our international
image, how corruption stifles economic growth,
hinders the fight against poverty, leads to decay
in infrastructure and reduces educational
standards, lowers life expectancy, stunts the
fight against maternal and infant mortality and
impacts negatively on the general livelihood of
the citizens. No one is better placed than you,
the media, to lead this charge.”
He disclosed that between 2006 and 2013, 55
people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira
in Nigeria, an amount that is more than a quarter
of the 2015 national budget!
“Out of the stolen funds, 15 former Governors
allegedly stole 146.84 billion naira; 4 former
Ministers allegedly stole 7 billion naira; 12 former
Public Servants, both at federal and state levels,
allegedly stole over 14 billion Naira; 8 people in
the Banking Industry allegedly stole 524 billion
Naira; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole 653
billion naira.
“Using World Bank Rates and Costs, one third of
the stolen funds could have provided 635.18
kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern
hospitals, that is one ultra modern hospital per
state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children
from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 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,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of the 2.1 billion dollar
arms deal, Mohammed said irrespective of what
anyone might say, there is no doubt that funds
meant to fight terrorism were deployed to
another ‘fight,’ the fight to keep the then
president Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the
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 4.5 billion Naira for spiritual
purposes, another said he received 2.1 billion
naira for publicity, while yet another said he got
13 billion Naira to pay someone else for the
Maritime University land.
“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 queried.
Mohammed said irrespective of political, religious
or tribal leanings, and not minding whether
anyone belongs to the APC, PDP, 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.”
READ ALSO: APC Defends Oyegun
The Minister said President Buhari is 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 put 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. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s
war.”
He also appealed to the Judiciary, which he said
is critical to the success of the war, saying
unless everyone in the judiciary fully joins in
waging this war, the pending cases of corruption
will just drag on until they outlast this
administration.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Rivers state has accused Governor Nyesom
Wike of abandoning all construction a