The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekeen Nabena, has faulted the position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the ongoing investigation of the intervention agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The PDP had,in a statement, on Monday, said the revelation from the NDDC investigation was an indictment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
But the APC in its response made available to newsmen, on Tuesday, noted that the forensic audit of the intervention agency included the last five years of the PDP administration and the first four years of the present administration.
Nabena further claimed that the erstwhile ruling party was scared that its chieftains would ultimately be indicted by the audit of the agency.
The statement read in part: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its self-indicting statement speaks of the “weight of corruption” bedevilling the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“Nigerians can now understand that the PDP is not interested in the current moves by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to reposition the NDDC but the PDP is dead-scared of the outcome of the 2001 to 2019 forensic audit and legislative inquests of the NDDC operations. The PDP is doing everything to sabotage and frustrate the audits.
“In recognition of the ongoing forensic audit and legislative inquest into the operations of the NDDC, as a party, we have no intention to trade words on how successive PDP administrations and their cronies institutionalised a culture of contract fraud and other corrupt practices which has robbed the Niger Delta region of badly-needed development. We will rather monitor and await the findings of the ongoing audits.
“However, one thing is clear, no vested interest will continue to turn the NDDC into an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) while multi-faceted development eludes the Niger Delta region.
“We must support the forensic audit of the 19 years of the NDDC, which includes the first 4 years of the President Buhari administration as well as well-meaning legislative inquests for the benefit of the Niger Delta region.
“As a party, we totally align and support the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari to audit and reposition the NDDC. As with all institutions of government, we must continue to entrench transparency and accountability.
“The commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration remains the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region. Hence, the audit must be seen as a decisive move to clear any stumbling block undermining the development of the Niger Delta region.
“Has the President Buhari administration demonstrated its zero-tolerance for corruption? An emphatic yes!
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“The administration’s fight against corruption is total, unsparing and there are no sacred cows. Public records show that officials of past administrations, members of the opposition, APC, cabinet members, appointees, private sector among others have been given ample opportunity by this administration to defend corruption allegations when they arise.
“The PDP’s tales of “unbridled treasury looting”, Illusionary fraud and other fictitious allegations are part of their tired, baseless and tactless attempts to get public reckoning, cover past fraud and play the role of opposition which it has shockingly failed at.”
