You are rebranding yourselves with stolen arms money, FG fires back at PDP over NEC approved $1b Boko Haram fight fund

*Tells ex-ruling party its attitude is height of hypocrisy

*As PDP, Ozekhome, Senator Ohabunwa fault NEC decision, say era of lies over

*Sitting government sad remembering how PDP in one day distributed $269 million cash, N100 billion meant to fight Boko Haram among themselves

*Says it dos not lie in the mouth of PDP to criticism Buhari’s government, adding their corruption led Nigeria to where it is today

UNDER PDP: National Day could not be celebrated openly; Boko Haram not only occupied 27 local governments in Borno State, but was also active in almost ten states and strolled to the Federal Capital, and three times they went to bomb the United Nations, the Police headquarters and the Thisday newspaper house; Over 200 Chibok school girls were abducted… They are spending the same money which they stole, and they are using the money to rebrand themselves, they have no moral justification whatsoever – Lai Mohammed listed out why PDP should learn to know when to keep quiet

In its reaction to a statement by the People’s Democratic (PDP), which faulted the decision of National Economic Council (NEC) where the governors of Nigeria approved $1 billion to support the Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s fight against Boko Haram insurgency, the Federal Government on Friday reportedly lambasted the former ruling party, PDP, has no moral right or justification to criticise it.

Justifying the approval by NEC of the amount to be drawn from the Excess Crude Account for the fight against insecurity, the government gave reasons for its assertion that the Boko Haram insurgency has been defeated.  It added that the PDP which was criticising it could be talking at this time when they should actually keep quiet because they were rebranding themselves with the arms money they stole and shared among whereas the insurgents the arms the money for were let loose to cause damages of high degree to the nation and its people.

The government’s reaction, which was conveyed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during an interview with Vanguard, came as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some other political stakeholders faulted the resolution of the NEC on the drawing of the money.

The PDP in its reaction had alleged that it was unnecessary for the Federal Government to get $1 billion to fight a war the government had in the past claimed to have won.

The PDP in its reaction articulated by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan had also alleged that the funds were some surreptitious purposes claiming that the era of lies and propaganda were over.

The claims of the PDP were further articulated by leading human rights lawyer known to have soft spot for PDP’s cause, Barrister Mike Ozekhome who said that lies have an expiry date and also by Senator Mao Ohabunwa, PDP Abia North who faulted the decision by NEC saying that only the National Assembly could release money for the Federal Government.

The PDP and its sympathizers either in the human rights sector or at the National Assembly, however, failed to tell why the Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP’s Federal Government had to seek for $1 billion loan to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in a period of Nigeria’s economic boom when oil sold for $140 per barrel and yet, much later even after the National Assembly approved the loan, troops of Nigerian Army were seen being overpowered by the terrorists to the extent that over 27 Local Governments in the North East fell under their control. 

The PDP and its sympathizers either in the human rights sector or at the National Assembly, however, failed to tell why the Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP’s Federal Government had to seek for $1 billion loan to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in a period of Nigeria’s economic boom when oil sold for $140 per barrel and yet, much later even after the National Assembly approved the loan, troops of Nigerian Army were seen being overpowered by the terrorists to the extent that over 27 Local Governments in the North East fell under their control.

This was the position of a respondent, who apparently beefed that members of a party, which could not account for how and for what purposes the $1 billion loan the National Assembly approved for their now removed government to fight Boko Haram insurgency was spent, could still be boasting condemning a 1$ billion loan just approved by National Economic Council (NEC) of a serious government under Buhari.  “What is more disgusting is their comment that era of lies and propaganda is over.  How?  Even Ozekhome’s supporting them with comment that lies have an expiry date should substantiate it,” the respondent said.

The All Progressives Congress, APC National Publicity Secretary could not be reached as he did not pick calls to his registered phone line.

Mohammed in his reaction blamed the PDP alleging that the PDP is now rebranding itself with the stolen money that was originally meant to fight Boko Haram noting that, “the PDP under Jonathan in one day distributed $269 million cash and N100 billion which was supposed to be money meant to fight Boko Haram.”

Saying that the PDP does not know when to keep quiet, he said:  “the sad thing about PDP is that they do not know when not to talk. If they were smart they would know when not to talk,” Mohammed said.

Continuing, he said: “If not for their rapacious corruption Boko Haram would not have metamorphosed into the monster that it became before we came in. If only they had approached governance with honesty transparency, and sense of purpose Boko Haram would not have raged between 2009 and 2015, it was their inept handling of Boko Haram and their corruption that put us in this mess.

“They seem not to understand that the biggest challenge to any government and the primary responsibility of any government is law and order and security. It is because of the fact that we have been able to contain Boko Haram that they were able to hold their national convention in Abuja.

“During their time they were not able to celebrate the National Day openly. Under their watch, Boko Haram not only occupied 27 local governments in Borno State, but was also active in almost ten states. Not that alone, they used to stroll to the federal capital, and three times they went to bomb the United Nations, the Police headquarters and under their watch, the Thisday newspaper was bombed and under their watch, about 200 Chibok girls were abducted.”

Defending the December 2015 declaration by the Federal Government that Boko Haram had been defeated, Mohammed said: “Why do we say that we have decimated Boko Haram? It is not propaganda. Since we came in 30 months, there has been no single bomb explosion in the Federal Capital, and that is not a mean feat! It is because they don’t understand what security means, they don’t even understand what terrorism means,” he added.

“It does not lie in the mouth of the PDP to even criticise the government, and it was their corruption that led us to where we are today. They are spending the same money which they stole, and they are using the money to rebrand themselves, they have no moral justification whatsoever,” the minister fumed.