The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to go
beyond the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC), Is’haq Kawu Modibbo and institute a system-wide investigation
into the N2.5 billion NBC scandal.
The PDP particularly demands an open investigation into the alleged
roles possibly played by certain top officials of the Buhari Presidency,
including the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
around the matter.
The party says ICPC’s uncovering of fraud in the N2.5billion NBC
Digital Switch Over (DSO) contract has further exposed the inherent
corruption in the BuhariPresidency and how Presidency officials and
leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been siphoning
billions of naira from government agencies.
The party in a statement said;
This further exposes how corruption has become endemic at the NBC
under the direct supervision of the Minister of Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who has not yet cleared his name on the N13.1
million NBC loan scandal since May 2016.The party therefore urges the ICPC to go beyond the N2.5 billon NBC
fraud and investigate the allegations that Alhaji Lai Mohammed abused
the privilege of his office by approving a letter from his office
requesting the NBC, an agency under his supervision, to advance a loan
of N13.1 million to his ministry for a purported official assignment in
China.The demand, which was against budgetary approvals, principle of TSA
and the anti-corruption claims of the government he represents, has not
been investigated and culprits prosecuted, even when it was clear that
it corrupted the agency in converting it into a lending institution,
against our financial regulations and the laws that established the NBC.The PDP insists that the failure by the Buhari Presidency to
investigate and if found answerable prosecute Alhaji Lai Mohammed for
this alleged act of manifest corruption shows how the Buhari Presidency
has been concealing humongous corruption and sharp practices being
perpetrated by APC leaders and cronies of Mr. President in the
ministries, departments and agencies.Alhaji Lai Mohammed is a spokesperson of the Buhari administration,
which claims to be committed to the fight against corruption. He cannot,
in all honesty, hold such a position with this allegation still hanging
around his neck.This is more so as allegations are rife in the public space that
agencies in the Ministry of Information and Culture now reek of corrupt
and sharp practices in the last three years.
