- The last has not been heard of the alleged N5.8billion rice scandal involving NEMA and the vice president
- Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo was accused of breaching the constitution and the public procurement act
- The presidency, however, says the House of Representatives report did not indict Osinbajo for corruption
The presidency has clarified that no where in the House of Representative committee on emergency and disaster preparedness report that an allegation of corruption against the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was stated.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the presidential political adviser, said the claims against Osinbajo from some quarters regarding the report are mere political contrivances intended to distract the vice president
“It is evident that the opposition are in search of company for their acts of grand corruption which brought Nigeria to its knees as of May 2015. They cannot find that company in the vice president,” the adviser noted.
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He continued: “first, there is nowhere in the politicized House of Reps report where the VP was accused of corruption or embezzlement of funds. I challenge them to quote any word or sentence that makes such an accusation.
“Even the House committee chairman has said there was no allegation of corruption against him. The only allegation is that he approved funds for the emergency operations in the north-east from the consolidated revenue fund not budgeted funds.
“This conclusion we have proved to be false. The funds approved were from budgeted funds, specifically the rice levy.”
He explained that even after Honourable Ali Isa, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on emergency and disaster preparedness had publicly admitted that the vice president was not mentioned in the report, the opposition still found it expedient to continue attacking the reputation of Professor Osinbajo.
He asserted that the presidential approvals were well within lawful authority of the then acting president.
The presidential adviser then added that the action of the opposition in the ensuing political drama indicates that the NEMA probe report is being politicized and is only a lame attempt at ruining the good works of the Buhari administration.
He said the vice president will however not be distracted by the naysayers’ actions to discourage the Buhari administration from providing for the common man or to abandon its social investment programme which he noted has half a trillion budgeted for it in the past two years.
Senator Ojudu added that the administration will continue to cater for Nigerians especially those at the bottom of the ladder, regardless of the antics of the opposition party.
“We know what is happening, but the administration will not be distracted. Our goals and objectives to put Nigeria on the solid path of greatness is now unstoppable and Professor Osinbajo will not relent in that effort,” the presidential adviser concluded.
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had advised Osinbajo to seek forgiveness and make restitution for entangling himself in alleged corruption and sharp practices.
Laolu Akande, senior special assistant on media and publicity to the vice president, in a statement in Abuja, said the insinuations of alleged corruption on the part of Osinbajo were false and baseless.
The PDP however insists Osinbajo is guilty of the charges, accusing the vice president of frittering the N5.8 billion fund.
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