Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has alleged that ministers under the Goodluck Jonathan administration embezzled billions of dollars while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s government held sway. The Punch reports.
Oshiomhole, who just returned with President Muhammadu Buhari from a visit to the United States, accused the ministers who served under the previous dispensation of destroying the country.
He alleged that a minister under Jonathan dispensation single handedly embezzled as much as $6bn.
“The PDP destroyed the country. I mean from the lips of American officials; senior officials of the State Department said one minister under PDP cornered as much as $6bn,” he said.
“So, the PDP is a party that presided over the liquidation of our nation, destroyed all our institutions, converted the Armed Forces commanders to use them as if they were political thugs, converted the Nigerian Television Authority to a party megaphone, destroyed the Department of State Services, went after opposition as if we were rabbits to be pursued into our holes, compromised even student unions and destroyed everything that you can think of, and elevated religion to a state affair.”
In some other news, The Sun reports that a peace meeting held yesterday, July 27, by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to resolve the crisis rocking the National Assembly ended in deadlock.
The meeting which was held at the new Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja, was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari and had in attendance all APC lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
The meeting however ended abruptly, lasting only 20 minutes without achieving its purpose. Lawmaker who came out of the meeting reportedly spoke in threatening tones, signifying that the outcome of the meeting was a flop.
The Nation reports that President Muhammadu Buhari urged the lawmakers during the meeting to always obey the party’s directive.
Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara and the party’s preferred Hon Femi Gbajabiamila reportedly refused to compromise on their stand on the election of principal officers.
The warring factions however, agreed that the president’s stand on party’s supremacy should be adhered to.
Speaking after the brief meeting, Dogara told state house correspondents that he had always stood by the party. He said he was open to the speedy resolution of the National Assembly crisis.
On his part, Femi Gbajabiamila threw his weight behind the stand of the president that party structure should be upheld.
Still on the NASS crisis, The Guardian reports that Senators loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki, under the auspices of ‘Like Minds are opposed to the petition sent to the police by the Unity Forum group, on alleged forgery of the Senate Rules.
In another development The Vanguard reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration intends carrying out a comprehensive investigation into the alleged fraud and inefficiencies of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before moving against the corporation.
Vanguard, citing an interview Buhari had on the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA), reports that the federal government was already tracking the destination of stolen crude oil and the accounts the proceeds were paid into.
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