Sharing $322m recovered Abacha loot: PDP challenges Buhari to publish the poor beneficiaries

The Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is revisiting the fear of possible diversion of the $322 million (N115 billion) recovered Abacha loot from the Swiss. The party, therefore, demanded the federal government to publish names of the identified poor Nigerians who are potential beneficiaries of the recovered $322 million loot funds from Swiss Banks stolen by late General Sani Abacha which the All Progressives Congress (APC) resolved to commence disbursement in July.

National Daily gathered that Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, in a statement in Abuja, contended that it had become necessary for the list to be published following allegations that the repatriated fund was being abused.

The PDP had declared: “President Buhari needs to note that Nigerians are utterly dismayed that having hitherto postured as a man of integrity, he has taken no steps against this bare-faced atrocity where over 90 per cent of supposed beneficiaries of the repatriated fund are phony names supplied by fraudulent officials of his government.

“Nigerians are completely at a loss on why President Buhari always fails to take bold steps to expose and deal with corrupt and sharp practices by his appointees and leaders of his APC, even when such nefarious acts are directly against the less-privileged citizens already suffering the harsh economic realities of his administration.

“Since this issue was raised and the PDP called for a legislative scrutiny, the federal government and the APC have kept mum, perhaps, thinking that by their silence, it will be swept under the carpet like others in the past.”

The APC government had said the recovered $322 million Abacha loot would be disbursed to poorest Nigerians which has degenerated into skepticism that the funds may be re-looted in the process by managers of the ‘safety net’ or ‘social security’ policy. Some stakeholders have even argued that the decision on disbursing the $322 million recovered loot was subtle plot to share election money by President Muhammadu Buhari. The policy is laden with suspicions and skepticism which could have multiplier effects on the much celebrated integrity of the president and the fight against corruption by the current administration.