The Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo have been charged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday to
come clean on the N5.8 billion National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
scandal for which he was reportedly fingered by an investigative committee of
the House of Representatives.
President Yemi Osinbajo have been charged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday to
come clean on the N5.8 billion National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
scandal for which he was reportedly fingered by an investigative committee of
the House of Representatives.
Muhammadu
Buhari presidency were asked to immediately prosecute the sacked Director
General of NEMA, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who was also indicted by the House of
Representatives over alleged embezzlement of N33 billion in the agency.
Buhari presidency were asked to immediately prosecute the sacked Director
General of NEMA, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who was also indicted by the House of
Representatives over alleged embezzlement of N33 billion in the agency.
According to
PDP in a statement released by its National Publicity Director, Kola
Ologbondiyan, “The party is standing with Nigerians in opposing this
unforgivable pat in the wrist of allowing Maihaja to leave office without
investigation and prosecution to recover the allegedly embezzled money.
PDP in a statement released by its National Publicity Director, Kola
Ologbondiyan, “The party is standing with Nigerians in opposing this
unforgivable pat in the wrist of allowing Maihaja to leave office without
investigation and prosecution to recover the allegedly embezzled money.
“Our party
believes that the failure to prosecute the indicted former NEMA director
general is a ploy to shield top officials in the All Progressives Congress
(APC)-led administration, who are alleged to be involved in the series of scam
in NEMA, while the masses, for whom the fund was meant to serve, continue to
suffer neglect and untold hardships.”
believes that the failure to prosecute the indicted former NEMA director
general is a ploy to shield top officials in the All Progressives Congress
(APC)-led administration, who are alleged to be involved in the series of scam
in NEMA, while the masses, for whom the fund was meant to serve, continue to
suffer neglect and untold hardships.”
The PDP
insisted that Maihaja’s sacking could not be used as an excuse to foreclose an
investigation into NEMA’s major fraud under the watch of Osinbajo as chairman
of the agency’s Governing Board.
insisted that Maihaja’s sacking could not be used as an excuse to foreclose an
investigation into NEMA’s major fraud under the watch of Osinbajo as chairman
of the agency’s Governing Board.
The party
described the sleaze in NEMA as an indelible smear on the Buhari presidency,
and charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately
take in Maihaja for questioning, and if found wanting, prosecute him.
described the sleaze in NEMA as an indelible smear on the Buhari presidency,
and charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately
take in Maihaja for questioning, and if found wanting, prosecute him.
It noted that
the vice president had failed to provide a cogent response to the House of
Representatives’ report on N33bn NEMA fraud, in addition to claims that the
N5.8bn had been withdrawn from the national coffers while serving as president,
without parliamentary approval and recourse to existing due process,
procurement and contract laws.
the vice president had failed to provide a cogent response to the House of
Representatives’ report on N33bn NEMA fraud, in addition to claims that the
N5.8bn had been withdrawn from the national coffers while serving as president,
without parliamentary approval and recourse to existing due process,
procurement and contract laws.
The PDP
recalled that the House of Representatives had exposed that while the fund was
claimed to have been expended for procurement of grains under the emergency
intervention on food security in the North-east region, none of the six states
of the region received any grain from the so-called emergency intervention by
NEMA.
recalled that the House of Representatives had exposed that while the fund was
claimed to have been expended for procurement of grains under the emergency
intervention on food security in the North-east region, none of the six states
of the region received any grain from the so-called emergency intervention by
NEMA.
The House had
also exposed that there was no evidence that the World Food Programme (WFP)
received the 5,000 metric tons of rice, which NEMA claimed to have bought and
donated to WFP for distribution to victims of insurgency in the region.
also exposed that there was no evidence that the World Food Programme (WFP)
received the 5,000 metric tons of rice, which NEMA claimed to have bought and
donated to WFP for distribution to victims of insurgency in the region.
According to
the PDP, “Indeed, the failure of the Buhari presidency to prosecute Maihaja
despite his indictment by the House had raised serious issues of alleged
complicity in high places, for which Nigerians expect Osinbajo, as the chairman
of the Governing Board of the agency, should come clean.
the PDP, “Indeed, the failure of the Buhari presidency to prosecute Maihaja
despite his indictment by the House had raised serious issues of alleged
complicity in high places, for which Nigerians expect Osinbajo, as the chairman
of the Governing Board of the agency, should come clean.
“It is even
more saddening that the looted fund is part of the money set aside for
emergency response such as provision of palliatives and other essentials for
the poor masses to mitigate the hardships that would be occasioned by emergencies
such as the COVID-19 pandemic.”
more saddening that the looted fund is part of the money set aside for
emergency response such as provision of palliatives and other essentials for
the poor masses to mitigate the hardships that would be occasioned by emergencies
such as the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The PDP also
charged the EFCC to use the House of Representatives report as a working
document to immediately invite Maihaja to query on the looted funds as well as
to further expose top government officials allegedly involved in the massive
NEMA scam.
charged the EFCC to use the House of Representatives report as a working
document to immediately invite Maihaja to query on the looted funds as well as
to further expose top government officials allegedly involved in the massive
NEMA scam.
