Purge your party of corrupt persons, PDP tells APC

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, dismissed the perceived anti-corruption posture of the present administration as deceptive, saying the government is deliberating sweeping under the carpet grave allegations of corruption committed by those who helped it to power.

Alleging that the administration’s “holier than thou” stance was a deceptive frame to hoodwink ordinary citizens, the opposition party said the government would not be taken serious until it had first purged itself by addressing the corrupt deeds of close associates of the administration.

The PDP was immediately countered by the All Progressives Congress, APC, which described the allegations by the opposition party as rabble rousing and a rehash of previously unsubstantiated allegations.

Affirming that the PDP is not averse to the fight against corruption, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement, said: “The onus lies on the APC-led Federal Government to wage a credible holistic anti-corruption war by first purging itself of unclean association and coming out clear on sleazes already going on in government quarters since it took office in May.

“Whereas, the PDP restates its respect for the person and office of the President as well as our support for the war against corruption, it is incumbent on us to alert Nigerians of the prevailing circumstances around this government that are capable of fundamentally undermining good governance if left unchecked.

Not executing credible holistic war against corruption

“Charity, they say begins at home. For the APC-led government, it has now become a question of ‘physician, heal thyself.’ Every discerning mind knows that this administration is not executing a credible holistic war against corruption because it is a product of corruption, surrounded by corrupt persons; a factor apparently responsible for its obvious blind eyes to huge sleazes now being perpetrated in government agencies by persons claiming closeness to the President.

“How else can one explain the deliberate constitutional violations in the appointment of heads of financial handling federal agencies, such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Asset Management Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON), without due process of ministerial consultations and legislative clearance, as the case may be? Is this a scheme to open up these key finance institutions for malpractices and turn them into cash cows for APC interests?

“This is in addition to ongoing maneuverings in the oil sector, where clandestine moves are on to award oil refining licences to cronies without the due process of open bidding as well as statutory guidelines and checks by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

“Similarly, we invite Nigerians to note that the APC-led administration has not been forthcoming on how it has been depleting the funds it inherited in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and other government savings. Are they the source of the funds now being circulated to pay back huge contributions for APC Presidential campaign expenses?

Corrupt acts of most APC leaders

“Furthermore, we wish to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the fact that this administration, for obvious reasons, has deliberately turned a blind eye to the corrupt acts of most APC leaders, who as governors, ministers and labour leaders have been the worst corrupt set of people ever to bestride the political landscape of the country.

“Otherwise, how else can one explain the deafening silence by the government to the public outrage over the massive looting of public funds by some past APC governors?

“Apart from financial corruption, we draw the attention of Nigerians to the corrupting of security and democratic institutions in Nigeria, including the facts of nepotism in the appointment of an acting Chairman of INEC, a position unknown to the constitution, and a card-carrying member of the APC as the Director General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS), all in the bid to compromise the system to favour the Presidency and APC interests.”

It’s rabble rousing at its worst, APC replies

Responding, yesterday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a text message said: “Our response to the PDP’s statement is as follows: These are wild and unsubstantiated allegations. Uncoordinated and a rehash of what PDP has been saying in the last three months. Rabble rousing at its worst.”