Government reveals that over £11bn was stolen between 2006 and 2013 by just 55 persons

FIGURES just released by the federal government allege that as much as N1.34trn (£4.67bn) representing over a quarter of the total 2015 national budget was stolen by a total of 55 persons between 2006 and 2013.

 

Making the revelation in Abuja yesterday to kick-start the national sensitisation campaign against corruption, information minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said if the period is stretched to 2015, the total amount stolen would be about N3.2trn (£11.15bn). He said of the stolen funds, 15 former governors appropriated N146.84bn, four former ministers allegedly stole N7bn, while 12 public servants, both at federal and state levels, allegedly stole over N14bn.

 

According to Alhaji Mohammed, eight people in the banking industry allegedly stole N524bn, while 11 businessmen allegedly stole N653bn. Commenting on the issue of the $2.1 billion arms deal, the minister said irrespective of what anyone might say, the funds meant to fight terrorism were deployed to fight to keep then President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in power at all costs.

 

Alhaji Mohammed added: “Using the World Bank rates and costs, one third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18km of roads and build 36 ultramodern hospitals. That is one ultramodern hospital per state, 183 schools, educate 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at N25.24m per child and build 20,062 units of two bedroom houses.

 

“This is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a period of just eight years. Instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta.”

 

He added that so far, no one who has been accused of partaking in the sharing of the funds has denied receiving money. According to Alhaji Mohammed, all they have heard from them are ludicrous reasons why they partook in the sharing of the money.

 

"One said he collected N4.5bn for spiritual purposes, another said he received N2.1bn for publicity, while yet another said he got N13bn to pay someone else for the maritime university land. Based on these revelations, should we now fold our hands and allow these people to go away with public funds?

 

"Is anyone thinking about the innocent soldiers who lost their lives just because they did not get the necessary weapons to fight the terrorists? What about the families left behind by these soldiers who were sent to their early graves because of the misappropriation of these funds?" Alhaji Mohammed added.

 

He pointed out that irrespective of political, religious or tribal leanings and not minding whether anyone belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP, Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Labour Party, if they have stolen public funds, they must not go scot-free. He urged all Nigerians and every arm of government to rise up and be counted in this epic war against corruption as defeat is not an option if our country is to survive.