Lai Mohammed tasks media on
N1.34trn loot
From Ikenna Emewu
Minister of Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday
explained how the Federal Government
arrived at the N1.34trillion stolen
public fund it announced last week.
At a media chat with editors and
Bureau Chiefs in Abuja, Mohammed,
who was challenged to release the list
of the 55 looters and how the
government arrived at the figure,
rather tasked the media to embark on
its investigation and add the missing
ends.
He noted that within the period the
Federal Government reviewed, 2006 –
2013, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed
criminal proceedings against 55
persons that held public posts and the
total amount involved was the figure
the government announced.
Although the minister admitted that
most of those accused or charged by
the EFCC are still facing trials and
the allegations of monies stolen by
them not yet proven, he still noted
that the revelation was part of the
victories the government has gained in
the war against corruption.
He also derived validity of the
announced persons and money from
the popularity of the figures in the
media, to an extent that even the
United States Secretary of State,
John Kerry, quoted same as the sign
and extent of criminality in Nigeria’s
public sector at the just-concluded
World Economic Summit (WEF) in
Davos, Switzerland.
He charged the media to sustain the
support for the government in
fighting corruption, saying the
government has made a huge success
of positioning anti-crime crusade at
the front burner of national discourse
awareness.
He said the development is already a
big success on its own, even with a
vow that the government cannot stop
in its efforts.
Mohammed also assured that, “the paid
media blackmail, propaganda, attacks
and other counter-efforts by affected
persons are ways corruption fights
back. But all these are not enough to
stop the government because that is
the most important task the
government must sustain.
“The revelation and its popularity all
over the world has rattled the enemies
of the country involved in the
Dasukigate scandal into hack writing,
media attacks and other antics. We
therefore, call on Nigerians not to fall
for their tricks and keep supporting
the Federal Government in the war
against the culture of looting and
impunity.
“Another assurance this government
will always give the people of Nigeria
is that its only focus is not just
fighting the few corrupt Nigerians. It
has been part of the propaganda of
the affected persons that this
government has nothing else to offer
the people apart from fighting
corruption.
“That is not true because the
government must keep all its promises
to change Nigeria for the better. But
it has to start from the most
pressing issue, which is corruption and
will later touch on all other issues of
national importance the same way it
fought the insecurity caused by Boko
Haram till its present state,” he
explained.

The mere compilation of names of corrupt officials & total money looted based on allegations is by far not helpful...the fact is that we must develop an anti-corruption orientation template to be enforced in a more effective & proactive way.

How much we'll obtain from these 'media justice' is yet to be seen...anyway, una de try pass others

...& It has been #Angry#Nigerian
...& I feel like #Saying#My#Mind

don't be distracted, these people want you to fail...imagine some Nigerians at the peak of their stupidity will come and say the government is witch hunting the corrupt. Is the corrupt supposed to witch hunt the government

Those people saying they cannot support the government in the fight have no meaningful excuse except they are corrupt...and in that case, watch out for EFCC.

YOU ARE ALREADY DISTRACTED - Nigerians.

Foolish government, planning to burn down the house in their attempt to kill the cockroaches. How idiotic.

Alhaji, isn't better u keep calm and get facts, before jumping into the media? U r becoming boring already sir