55 Nigerians stole over N1.34 trillion in 8 years
Nigeria’s
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has stated that 55 Nigerians
have stolen over N1.34 trillion from the country’s treasury from 2006 to 2013.
Speaking
at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, Mr. Mohammed said since the nation was
on the verge of winning the war against insurgent group, Boko Haram, the nation
and its people should also partake in yet, another war on corruption.
Mr.
Mohammed said if Nigerians failed to cooperate with the governing All
Progressives Congress administration under President Muhammadu Buhari,
corruption would “kill the country”.
“Gentlemen,
the situation is dire and the time to act is now. For example, between the
period 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion
Naira in Nigeria. That’s more than a quarter of last year’s national budget,”
he said.
Out of
the stolen funds, the minister said 15 former governors were alleged to have
stolen N146.84 billion; while 4 former ministers stole N7 billion; 12 former
public servants, both at federal and state levels, stole over N14 billion; 8
people in the banking Industry allegedly N524 billion; while 11 businessmen
allegedly stole N653 billion.
Giving
reasons why Nigerians should “own” the war against corruption, Mr. Mohammed
said using the World Bank rates and costs, showed that one third of the stolen
funds could have provided 635.18 kilometers of road; built 36 ultra-modern
hospitals, that is one ultra-modern hospital per state; built 183 schools;
educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million per
child; and built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses.
“This
is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a
period of just eight years. And 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 said.
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