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… NDDC, North-East Dev Commission, CBN ‘Fingered’
By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
A transparency group, the League of Nigerian Democrats (LND), has raised alarm over alleged looting spree embarked upon by officials of the ministries, departments and agencies following last week’s announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the freezing of accounts and possible dissolution of the boards.
According to the LND, despite President Tinubu’s directive, “there has been a cladestine looting spreee and illegal payment of fraudulent contracts by some ministries, intervention agencies and parastatals and the country may have lost over N200 billion in the last few days.
The national coordinator of the group, Barr. Yomi Adelakun, in a statement issued via electronic mail, stated that some of the illegal payments and withdrawals were done over the weekend with the connaivance of some senior bank officials.
Adelakun said though the group in collaboration with some transparency groups in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and two northern states, including the Federal Capital territory, Abuja, are collating facts and figures for a formal petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Adelakun, “the group received the announcement made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with mixed feelings as it prapared these looters to embark on looting spree despite the presidential order for the freezing of MDAs accounts.
“We are also worried that the looting spree, which is done under the cover of quick payments of outstanding contracts is a clear case of theft. The NDDC, the North East Development Commission, the CBN and others have been fingered in these unholy transaction even during the weekends. Some of their Finance department staff were placed in hotels over the weekend to process alleged fraudulent payments.
“We also have it on good authority that the looters and their sponsors are seeking desperate ways to avoid being dissolved. They have device means to lobby the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the chief of staff to the President, and even the son of the President with millions of dollars to provide cover and ensure their boards are exempted from being dissolved.
“We however want to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately dissolve these MDAs and agencies to halt the secret looting and save the country from unimaginable loss.”