The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the call by the call to sack the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Ameachi by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the alleged corruption in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The ruling party, however described as a “routine administrative probe” the scandal rocking the NPA.
In a statement signed Tuesday in Abuja by the APC national secretary, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) John James Akpanudoedeh, said the fact that the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari approved the probe of the NPA was a clear testimony of the President’s belief in transparency, good governance and adherence to the rules in public service.
The statement reads: “We read the nonsensical statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against prominent party leader and the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the suspended Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman in connection with the routine administrative inquiry approved by President, Muhammadu Buhari into the activities of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“We also note the shameful attempt by the PDP to libellously drag the spouse of Amaechi (who has never held public office and is not a politician) into the realm of politics, and libellously malign her with their fictional tale of looting the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Even for the totally debased PDP, that was a whole new low!
“Apparently, the PDP is still living in their alternate reality in which corruption, aided by their family members and cronies was approved statecraft. For the PDP that looted everything in sight during the 16 years it held this country to ransom, it is understandable that it is still unable to understand a routine administrative probe.
“While inaugurating the panel on Monday to probe the activities of the NPA, the Transportation minister was abundantly clear that no one has been indicted of anything. And the probe is in line with the routine discharge of the duties and functions of the Ministry of Transportation’s supervisory mandate over the NPA.
“Compare and contrast this with the years of PDP and all anyone would find are 16 years of plundering of our collective wealth, the desecration of our public institutions and their values. No public institution was spared.”
On the allegation of looted money at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) allegedly involving the wife of Minister Ameachi, the statement described PDP’s call as ‘shameful.’
“Shamelessly, the PDP was quick to mention the spouse of Amaechi, over a phantom story of imaginary money looted from the NDDC, concocted by one of their own, a known PDP sympathizer.
“It is an irony that the PDP whose public officers’ family members and cronies collectively looted our country with many charged to court for financial crimes and money laundering offences, would based on fiction, slander the spouse of an APC public official. While we do not intend to go low as the PDP, we want to remind them that Nigerians still remember vividly the billions of Naira, millions of dollars of stolen state funds that were either recovered or confiscated from immediate-past PDP public officials, their family members and cronies.
“Yes, Nigerians are appalled, but not by the concocted story of looting against Amaechi’s spouse in NDDC but by the known fact that after many years of being in control of the NDDC, several PDP government officials, their family members and cronies salted away the enormous funds that accrued to the NDDC that was meant for the development of the Niger Delta region. We urge the PDP to allow us focus on cleaning the daunting mess they left behind in the Niger Delta, like most facets of our country.
“To be clear, ‘corruption personified,’ which the PDP represents, is in no position to pontificate or even point fingers at the APC on the ongoing fight against corruption.”
