By Ade Amusan-
A former presidential aide, Rene Omokri has released a list of fraudulent money launderers he says is being swept under the carpet.
Rene Omokri released what he called “RealLootersList”, claiming it to be a list President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, “should have released”.
The list released in an announcement on Sunday follows a previous one the ex-Jonathan aide released about a fortnight ago.
The new list includes Nr Buhari, Mr Mohammed, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, among others.
The list came shortly after the Nigerian federal government vowed to release the names of more persons alleged to have looted public funds.
In a statement released in Lagos on Sunday, Mr Mohammed said since the release of the first two lists of the alleged looters, there had been “overt and covert attempts to intimidate and blackmail the Federal Government into discontinuing the release of more looters’ names”.
Mr.Omokri challenged anyone who feels that he or she has been wrongly accused to seek redress in court, rather than “engaging in exhibitionist sophistry”.
He also said his list was more credible and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate, interrogate and prosecute those contained in his own list.He also said his list was more credible and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate, interrogate and prosecute those contained in his own list.
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FLOP
In a lengthy statement to the press, Mr Omokri said the nation was witness to the flop of the “pathetic looters lists” earlier released by Mr Mohammed “which read more like a list of noisemakers drawn up by a primary school class captain who wanted to implicate his enemies.”
He also said his list was more credible and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate, interrogate and prosecute those contained in his own list.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The announcement comes as President Muhammadu Buhari announced his intention to run for next year’s Nigerian presidential election. Buhari was widely celebrated by Nigerians after his election victory in 2015, but chronic unemployment, corruption, and high-level austerity have left many of Africa’s most populous country deeply impoverished and in desperate need of intervention. Many of Nigeria’s professionals remain unpaid for up to a year for no understandable reason.
Previous lists released by the government have been heavily criticized for containing only names of members of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Critics allege that Buhari’s administration is covering up corrupt politicians from their own government.
None of those on the list has been convicted, even though some of them being prosecuted and others not being tried for any offence yet.
The national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus has launched a suit against the minister and the federal government for including his name on the controversial list.
The minister, however, said the pressure being mounted on the government over its decision to expose looters is not unexpected.
“We know where the pressure is coming from. However, the die is cast. We will not stop until we have released the names of all those who have looted our commonwealth. Those who have not looted our treasury have nothing to be afraid of,” the statement exposing alleged looters states.
Mr Omokri said the nation had witnessed the flop of the “pathetic looters lists” earlier released by Mr Mohammed “which read more like a list of noisemakers drawn up by a primary school class captain who wanted to implicate his enemies.” The list, he said, was more credible, as he called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate, interrogate and prosecute those contained in his own list.
Mr.Omokri is calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to investigate, interrogate and prosecute those whose names he has included in the list. He says the amount of money involved stands at over $30 billion
SUSPENDED
Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, was suspended by the minister of health for allegedly misappropriating approximately ₦1 billion. A probe panel was set up by the minister of health, Isaac Adewole. Mr. Adewole concluded the evidence against Mr: Yusuf compelling enough to warrant his suspension.
The Eye Of Media.Com heard that editors of the investigative website, premiumtimesng.com, cited documents presented as evidence against Mr. Yusuf and concluded that “cases of misconduct was clearly established against Mr. Yusuf.”
The website reported their investigations to have revealed that Mr. Yusuf exploited his close relationship with President Buhari in demanding the reinstatement of Mr.Yusuf’s position, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. The released list will further tensions in Nigeria, a country blessed with natural resources but set back by a phenomenal misappropriation of funds for decades.
