The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday slammed the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over its call for the scandal prosecution of Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the sacked Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). Hadiza Bala.
The PDP had in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, berated the ruling party administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which has he accused of shielding it’s corrupt officials
The APC while responding to the opposition party’s attack, in a statement issued Tuesday by the Secretary of its National Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Committee, Senator John AkpanUdoedehe expressed dismay over the PDP position on the issue.
“We read the nonsensical statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against prominent party leader and the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the suspended Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman in connection with the routine administrative inquiry approved by President, Muhammadu Buhari into the activities of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“We also note the shameful attempt by the PDP to libellously drag the spouse of Amaechi (who has never held public office and is not a politician) into the realm of politics, and libellously malign her with their fictional tale of looting the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Even for the totally debased PDP, that was a whole new low!
“Apparently, the PDP is still living in their alternate reality in which corruption, aided by their family members and cronies was approved statecraft. For the PDP that looted everything in sight during the 16 years it held this country to ransom, it is understandable that it is still unable to understand a routine administrative probe.”
APC noted that w hile inaugurating the panel on Monday to probe the activities of the NPA, the Transportation minister was abundantly clear that no one has been indicted of anything. And the probe is in line with the routine discharge of the duties and functions of the Ministry of Transportation’s supervisory mandate over the NPA.
“The fact that the APC-led government of President Buhari approved the probe of the NPA is a clear testimony of the President’s belief in transparency, good governance and adherence to the rules in public service. It further reinforces President Buhari’s zero tolerance for corruption in his administration.
“Compare and contrast this with the years of PDP and all anyone would find are 16 years of plundering of our collective wealth, the desecration of our public institutions and their values. No public institution was spared.
“Shamelessly, the PDP was quick to mention the spouse of Amaechi, over a phantom story of imaginary money looted from the NDDC, concocted by one of their own, a known PDP sympathizer.
“It is an irony that the PDP whose public officers’ family members and cronies collectively looted our country with many charged to court for financial crimes and money laundering offences, would based on fiction, slander the spouse of an APC public official. While we do not intend to go low as the PDP, we want to remind them that Nigerians still remember vividly the billions of Naira, millions of dollars of stolen state funds that were either recovered or confiscated from immediate-past PDP public officials, their family members and cronies.
“To be clear, ‘corruption personified,’ which the PDP represents, is in no position to pontificate or even point fingers at the APC on the ongoing fight against corruption.” The party added
