P
ProfRem
Guest
The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC revealed that N1.3trillion was stolen from the nation’s treasury under the immediate past administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Presenting the report of its activity from August to July to civil society organisations in Abuja on Thursday, PACAC Executive Secretary, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said the large sum of money was stolen by fifty-five persons.
Declaring that corruption brought Nigeria to her present situation, Owasanoye berated the former president for tolerating the vice.
Owasanoye claimed that Jonathan was not bothered that his administration fared worse than his predecessors in tackling corruption.
According to him, “His (Jonathan’s) tolerance of corruption was reflected in the sunset of activities of anti-corruption agencies under his watch and exponential increase of other vices no doubt fuel by corruption.
“For example, it is widely believed that insecurity escalated because of the massive embezzlement of $2billion through the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki, who allegedly diverted the money appropriated to fight insurgency", he said.
“The problems in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry reached zenith with multi-billion dollars subsidy scams while President Jonathan looked the other way.
“Using World Bank rates, one-third of the N1.3trillion allegedly stolen by only 55 people in seven years could have provided 635.18 kilometers of roads, built 36 ultra-modern hospitals in each state, built and furnished 183 schools, educated 3,974 people from primary to tertiary level (at N25.2million per child) and built 20,062 units of two-bedroom houses
“Jonathan’s legendary comment that stealing is not corruption underscored his perspective on corruption and remains a watershed in the history of anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.
Presenting the report of its activity from August to July to civil society organisations in Abuja on Thursday, PACAC Executive Secretary, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said the large sum of money was stolen by fifty-five persons.
Declaring that corruption brought Nigeria to her present situation, Owasanoye berated the former president for tolerating the vice.
Owasanoye claimed that Jonathan was not bothered that his administration fared worse than his predecessors in tackling corruption.
According to him, “His (Jonathan’s) tolerance of corruption was reflected in the sunset of activities of anti-corruption agencies under his watch and exponential increase of other vices no doubt fuel by corruption.
“For example, it is widely believed that insecurity escalated because of the massive embezzlement of $2billion through the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki, who allegedly diverted the money appropriated to fight insurgency", he said.
“The problems in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry reached zenith with multi-billion dollars subsidy scams while President Jonathan looked the other way.
“Using World Bank rates, one-third of the N1.3trillion allegedly stolen by only 55 people in seven years could have provided 635.18 kilometers of roads, built 36 ultra-modern hospitals in each state, built and furnished 183 schools, educated 3,974 people from primary to tertiary level (at N25.2million per child) and built 20,062 units of two-bedroom houses
“Jonathan’s legendary comment that stealing is not corruption underscored his perspective on corruption and remains a watershed in the history of anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.
