21 people shared money that could have saved millions of Nigerians - Lai Mohammed

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture has revealed the number of persons that benefitted from the alleged diversion of the $2.1 billion meant for the procurement of arms by the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

On Friday, January 22, while speaking to online media publishers in Lagos, Lai Mohammed said that 21 people benefited from the said funds. 

 

Earlier, on Monday, January 18, the minister had declared that 55 people stole N1.34 trillion from Nigeria in seven years.

While speaking to the online media publishers, Mohammed described the war against corruption as one of the cardinal programmes of the Buhari administration.

“Some have said the government is dwelling too much on the war against corruption to the detriment of other areas of governance. Our response to that is that indeed, there is nothing like dwelling too much on this war, which is a war of survival for our nation. 

“The situation is grim, very grim indeed, as far as corruption is concerned. That is why the federal government is embarking on this sensitisation campaign our approach is not to vilify anyone but to use facts and figures to give Nigerians a sense of the cost of corruption.” 

Speaking on the amount allegedly looted by the ex-NSA in the last administration, he said: “The amount received by 21 individuals and companies from ONSA is more than the 2015 zonal intervention project budget by N2.829bn. 

“Whereas the sum of N51.829bn was appropriated for 1,278 projects in the zonal intervention projects for 2015, a total of 21 individuals and companies benefited from the Dasukigate to the tune of N54.659bn as we know so far. 

“The implication, therefore, is that the amount received by 21 individuals and companies is more than the 2015 zonal intervention project budget by N2.829bn. 

“Furthermore, the value of what beneficiaries of Dasukigate contributed to development is zero, compared to how the lives of Nigerians would have been transformed, poverty reduced and livelihoods improved by the zonal intervention projects which would have cost N2.829bn less than Dasukigate.”

The minister also allayed the fears of the publishers stating that the federal government would not regulate their practice in the country, but urged them to self-regulate.

“If the online publications suffer credibility problems, they stand the risk of losing the confidence of their readers and the advertisers who provide the lifeblood for the publications’ survival,” he said. The minister promised that the federal government would patronise the online media through adverts, saying: “All we ask for, in return, is that you provide accurate information to the people, and avoid sensationalism and partisanship.” 

He also canvassed for media support of government’s campaign against corruption to ensure its success.

“The national security awareness campaign, aimed at rallying the support of Nigerians for the war on terror, is ongoing. Also, the national sensitisation campaign against corruption was formally launched in Abuja on Monday, and it is aimed at rallying Nigerians against the cankerworm of corruption, which has eaten deep into the fabric of our society.” 

The minister also mentioned that the government is embarking on a national re-orientation campaign, which is tagged ‘change begins with me’, to change the way Nigerians go about doing things.