Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has said the figure of the public funds pilfered during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, are troubling

Mohammed said the incumbent administration of Muhammadu Buhari is interested in informing Nigerians of the rate at which funds were embezzled and the cost of corruption to the society.

During a visit to the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday, February 25, the minister said Nigerians have not been adequately incensed by the revelation from the anti-corruption agencies thus far.

“The emphasis of our government is not just to talk about figure of how much has been embezzled. Even the figures are dizzy enough. Only two days ago, ADC to former President Goodluck Jonathan said when they brought N10 billion for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign, he did not open it.”

“He said he only gave it to the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs. This is quite troubling. But more importantly, our government wants Nigerians to know the cost of corruption.”

“The government wants Nigerians to know what we are suffering. When we had a news conference in January and disclosed that 55 people stole, N1.343 trillion between 2006 and 2013, what we wanted to emphasize was that one-third of the money would have gone to Nigeria.”

“Using the World Bank rate, we said the money would be able to redevelop Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It will be able to give us one ultra-modern hospital in each state of the federation. In addition, that money would have given 20,000 units of two-bedroom flat. The remaining will still educate 3,954 students from primary schools to tertiary level.”

“In addition, it will build 183 state-of-the-art schools. So, what we are trying to make Nigerians understand is that corruption is eating deep, not just into the fabrics of our morals, but it is preventing development.”

Adebayo Emuleomo