BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The governing All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will not play politics with money meant to protect the lives of innocent Nigerians in the North-east region
The Party also maintained that the President will not condone or allow anyone to engage in such brigandage that Nigerians witnessed under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.
Responding to a statement by the PDP with respect to the $1 billion approved from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for Federal Government’s prosecution of its war against terror, the APC said the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) that granted the approval has 11 PDP Governors as members.
The APC also said it took note of the preposterous allegation by the PDP that the real purpose of the said $1 billion was to fund Buhari’s presidential activities, ahead of 2019, stressing that it find the PDP allegation baseless and ridiculous.
These were contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi which also said that the twin principle of accountability and probity are fundamental to the governing Party.
The APC advised the PDP to ensure that their 11 governors demand accountability for the money that they have jointly approved.
Abdullahi further said; “If the PDP in their latest reincarnation now consider these principles important, we are happy for them and we welcome them.
“It appears however that PDP’s interpretation of its role is to oppose everything even before they had the opportunity to understand it. They have remained embittered over what they thought APC did to them as an opposition party and are therefore seized by an obsession to revenge. In essence, they are primarily driven by vendetta rather than considered national interest.
“We wonder how the Governors, who are not members of our Party, would support the decision to approve funds that were ostensibly meant to fund another Party. In essence, the PDP is by this allegation accusing their Governors of disloyalty or suggesting that they were bewitched into supporting the decision. It is that ridiculous!
“However, we can understand why it is easy for PDP to arrive at its ludicrous allegation. A similar approval in excess of $2 Billion was granted to the PDP government when they were in power. They knew what they did with the money.
“It is a classic case of a serial killer, who sees even a table knife as a murder weapon. The PDP presided over a government that made it possible for money meant for weapons to be diverted into paying marabouts and all manner of political jobbers ahead of the 2015 election. Therefore, the PDP thinks the same thing is about to happen”, the APC spokesman said.
He continued; “Another reason that PDP has given for opposing the approval was that the Federal Government has claimed that Boko Haram has been technically defeated. The military authorities have done enough to explain the need for the money, we therefore find no need to repeat the arguments.
“It appears however that the PDP does not understand that winning the peace is as important as winning the war. There is therefore no contradiction in saying that Boko Haram is technically defeated and saying that more weapons and trainings are needed for our military and the military of neighbouring countries whose co-operation is necessary to finally rid our countries of the menace of Boko Haram.”
Abdullahi said the APC understands the pressure that the PDP is facing to justify its role as an opposition party, adding however that they need to be reminded that opposition is not the same as opposing everything, including those things that are critical to national interest.
He further said that the governing Party welcome the PDP to play its part in ensuring that the money or any public money at all is used for the purpose for which it is intended.
