The PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, PPCO, has said the confession by the sacked Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, that he was fired for refusing to give N200 million, as kick-back, to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has further exposed the corruption in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency.
PPCO said the revelation did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise, adding that it has further vindicated the PDP’s position that the Buhari-led Presidency is “inherently corrupt and thrives on concealment, deception, beguilement, propaganda and lies.”
In a statement issued by PPCO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, the party said it has always alerted Nigerians “that President Muhammadu Buhari presides over a sanctuary of treasury looters who, as ministers, Presidential advisers, heads of special Presidential committees, APC leaders and members of President Buhari’s campaign council fritter our national resources with reckless abandon under Mr. President’s official cover.”
The statement read: “We invite Nigerians to note that the Presidency has not given any reasons for Bichi’s removal.
It has not also offered any form of explanation to the huge allegation bordering on corruption against a cabinet minister; a development, which betrays collusion at very high level.
“This is especially given the series of corruption entanglement around the Presidency, including the allegations that officials of the Presidency took N500 million as bribe to reduce the fine imposed on a telecommunication company from N1.03 trillion to N330 billion.
“Nigerians have not forgotten the case of the former aide of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, Mr. Baba Inna, who was arrested in September last year for allegedly receiving N2.5 billion from politicians, businessmen and women on behalf of the First Lady.
“This is in addition to the case of Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who while being paraded by the Department of State Services, DSS, last year stated in public that persons close to President Buhari were involved in serial looting under the official cover of the Buhari Presidency.
“Moreover, we hope this is not one of the conduits through which funds siphoned to finance the alleged involvement of some individuals said to be close to the Buhari Presidency in the N1.032 trillion alleged corrupt acquisitions in 9Mobile and Keystone Bank PLC.
The party challenged the Presidency to advance reasons for the sacking of Baffa even as it noted that Nigerians are awaiting President’s action on corruption allegations against some high-profile members of the ruling party.
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