By Olawale Oyetunji The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to recall the former Chief of Army S...
By Olawale Oyetunji
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President
Muhammadu Buhari to recall the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Ambassador
to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), to face investigations over an
alleged connection with the N1.8 billion recovered in a property in Abuja.
Recall that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently recovered N1.8 billion worth of
property owned by a military contractor in Abuja.
The opposition party in a statement by its National
Organising Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, Sunday demanded the recall and investigation
of Gen. Buratai.
PDP said its demand is predicated on the alleged missing $1
billion meant to purchase arms to fight terrorism.
It added that corruption under President Muhammadu Buhari’s
APC-led administration has led to the upsurge in unhindered terrorism attacks,
mass killing of citizens, and loss of many of our gallant fighters.
The statement partly read, “It is therefore of serious
interest to Nigerians when reports that the ICPC discovered the sum of N1.8
billion in various currencies, expensive cars, and jewelry secreted in a
property in Abuja allegedly linked to the former COAS broke out.
“There are already apprehensions that the discovered money
is part of the security fund that was criminally diverted. This is especially
against the backdrop of the frenzy and spirited efforts by certain quarters
linked to the APC to suppress investigation and free flow of information,
politicize the matter and sweep it under the carpet.
“Nigerians will recall that our Party has on several
occasions alerted that the looting of our treasury is officially sanctioned and
enabled by the APC administration with its refusal to prosecute those who were
alleged and found to have been involved in massive corruption.
“It would also be recalled that the PDP drew attention to
plans of the APC to create a slush fund account from monies fraudulently drawn
from the national treasury to finance their plot to rig the 2023 general
elections.”
According to the PDP, the APC test runs their 2023 rigging
plot in the Ekiti State governorship election with massive use of money to
prosecute a vote-buying scheme.
The opposition party insisted that the reports of alleged
massive looting under President Buhari’s watch further confirm the APC
administration as a haven for treasury looters.
“Moreover, the recently exposed looting of N80bn by the
suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, which
investigation has now gone cold is suspected to have been engineered by the
cabal at the very high level of the APC administration,” it added.
The PDP maintained that Gen. Buratai should return to the
country and be made to face investigation.
According to the party, this is important because any
allegation bordering on the looting of funds meant for the fight against
terrorism is of grave national concern and consequence.
PDP requested that Gen. Buratai be thoroughly investigated
and if found wanting must be made to face the full weight of the law.
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