Fraud allegations: PDP wants Lai Mohammed, Usman Yusuf prosecuted

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate prosecution of the former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud.
The party also demanded the immediate prosecution of the sacked Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof. Usman Yusuf, over allegations of misappropriation of N919 million as exposed by a ministerial panel.
The PDP made the demands in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The PDP maintained that the duo must not be left off the hook because of their affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency.
The party insisted that Alhaji Lai Mohammed should be prosecuted alongside the already docked Director General of the NBC, Alhaji Modibbo Kawu, following his statement at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
The PDP invited Nigerians to note that the ICPC had already indicated, in a press release, that Alhaji Lai Mohammed admitted in a statement to it, that he was “misled” by the Director General of the NBC, who was his subordinate, into approving the payment of the N2.5 billion to a private company.
According to the ICPC, “the former Minister’s involvement had come under questioning following discovery by the ICPC, during investigations, that a government White Paper that governs the execution of DSO programme was allegedly flouted by the head of the NBC.
“Mohammed had however admitted in a statement to the commission that he was misled by Kawu…”, the ICPC further stated.
According to the statement by Ologbondiyan, “Our party therefore insists that since the ICPC holds that the former minister’s involvement had come under questioning, he should be made to explain himself in the dock, not as a witness but as a defendant in the matter.
“This is a former minister who was in a haste to publish names of innocent Nigerians as looters just because they are members of the PDP, while a humongous fraud simmered under his nose”, it said.
The PDP further stated that the dismissal of the NHIS boss has also vindicated its position that billions of naira belonging to the Scheme and meant for the health needs of Nigerians was being frittered.
The Party therefore stated that Prof. Yusuf must be prosecuted in order to track and recover the over N25 billion allegedly siphoned from the account of the Scheme in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to service APC interests.