The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the Minister of Information and Culture, Ahaji Lai Mohammed over the N2.5 billion National Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, scandal.
The party in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, pointed out that the ICPC’s uncovering of fraud in the N2.5 billion NBC Digital Switch Over, DSO, contract has further exposed the inherent corruption in the Presidency.
It urged the anti-graft agency to go beyond the Director General of the NBC, Is’haq Kawu Modibbo and institute a system-wide investigation into the N2.5 billion NBC scandal, including alleged role possible played by Mohammed.
“The party urges the ICPC to go beyond the N2.5 billion NBC fraud and investigate the allegations that Alhaji Lai Mohammed abused the privilege of his office by approving a letter from his office requesting the NBC, an agency under his supervision, to advance a loan of N13.1 million to his ministry for a purported official assignment in China.
“This further exposes how corruption has become endemic at the NBC under the direct supervision of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who has not yet cleared his name on the N13.1 million NBC loan scandals since May 2016.
“The demand, which was against budgetary approvals, principle of Treasury Single Account, TSA, and the anti-corruption claims of the government he represents, has not been investigated and culprits prosecuted, even when it was clear that it corrupted the agency in converting it into a lending institution, against our financial regulations and the laws that established the NBC.”
