Thewife of PresidentMuhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has reportedly said that seven corrupt Nigerian officials were solely responsible for the embezzling of N3.3 trillion.
“N3.3 trillion was embezzled by only 7 people”
Mrs Buhari reportedly made the statement on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, while hosting a group of ‘social media change agents’ to dinner at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
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Mrs Buhari reportedly made the statement on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, while hosting a group of ‘social media change agents’ to dinner at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“N3.3 trillion was embezzled by only 7 people,” the president’s wife was quoted as saying by political commentator, Japheth Omojuwa.
“Young people should monitor monetary allocations to ministries and demand judicious use of same,” Mrs Buhari supposedly added.
The administration under which the said looting occurred was not specified but it is believed to have taken place during the Goodluck Jonathan regime.
Corruption under Jonathan’s government has been a major subject of discussion in recent times after it was alleged that officials misappropriated funds meant for Nigeria’s waragainst Boko Haram.
The discovery was made by a special panel constituted by Buhari to investigate arms purchases in the country from 2007-2015.
Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki is at the fore of the investigations and is alleged to have supervised the alleged laundering of $2 billion funds meant for the procurement of arms.
He was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 1, 2015 and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the day after.
The former NSA is reported to have implicated several prominent persons in the deal including former governors, ex-ministers and members of Jonathan’s party, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Dasuki’s lawyer denied the report that his client had become an informant while the former NSA has insisted that Jonathan was aware of the expenditure.
Jonathan has however denied authorizing the release of the stated funds despite the former NSA’s claim that he got the necessary presidential approval for the transactions.
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