Breaking: PDP alleges plot to cover COVID-19 Palliative Corruption by Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Federal Officials

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has in a press statement signed by the Party's National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, today, said it has uncovered plots to shield the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Federal Officials from corruptions through the CACOVID Palliatives invaded in warehouses by angry Nigerians, noting that CACOVID Palliative is not the same as the N500billion voted by the Federal Government for COVID-19 Palliatives to Nigerians.

"The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) exposes designs by indicted federal government officials to use the invasion of CACOVID palliative warehouses to escape investigation into the reported stealing and criminal diversion of funds and palliatives provided by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The PDP is appalled by the scandalous attempt by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, to create an impression that the CACOVID palliatives besieged in the aftermath of the EndSARS protest were the same federal government palliatives for which she is required to give account.

"Our party wants to inform the minister that such infantile antics cannot sway Nigerians, as the public is already aware that CACOVID palliatives came from donations from wells meaning individuals and organizations which is completely different from the N500 billion voted by the federal government, which has not been accounted for,"Ologbondiyan stated.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary reaffirming his position on the allegation of fraud by the Humanitarian Minister reiterated that the intention of the minister attempting to absolving herself of public funds mismanagement through the CACOVID Palliative saga validates the outcry of Nigerians on the disbursement of N20,000 to undocumented beneficiaries.

"If anything, this attempt by the minister to muddle-up issues and confuse Nigerians only goes to validate allegations of stealing and diversion of funds and palliatives provided by the Federal Government and placed under her purview.

"Of course, the CACOVID palliatives has nothing to do with the alleged stealing and diversion of funds in the cash disbursement of N20,000 to undocumented beneficiaries leading to widespread outcry by Nigerians that bulk of the money may have been diverted.

"The embattled minister has not explained the reason for the obvious circumventing of statutory public finance report system and appropriate documentations by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), leading to the alleged diversion of funds to private purses.

Pointing to the controversial Homegrown School Feeding during the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic and stay at home order by the Federal and State Government, a time when schools were shut down, Kola Ologbondiyan stated that Nigerians cannot be swayed by antics and desperation to evade investigation and conceal corruption.

"Also, the CACOVID palliatives have nothing to do with the billions of naira claimed to have been spent on school feeding at a time the schools were shut and school children were in their respective homes in different locations across the country.

"It is revealing to state that our party had earlier gotten winds of allegations in the public space that some indicted federal officials compromised arrangements at CACOVID warehouses to trigger an invasion by agitating Nigerians, as a decoy to frustrate investigation into the alleged stealing and diverting of federal government palliatives by government officials.

"Indeed, the rush for self-exoneration by the minister as well as her forgiveness showboating, apparently in an attempt to posture a foreclosure of an investigation into the handling of Federal Government palliative funds, goes to validate the allegations.

"But Nigerians cannot be swayed by such antics as they hugely smacks of guilt and desperation to evade investigation and conceal corruption.

"Moreover, it is evident that the besieging of the CACOVID warehouses was further inflamed by bottled-up anger and frustration over the corruption that characterized the handling of Federal Government palliative funds by the Minister, who now postures for foreclosure of investigation into the manifest atrocities in her ministry.

"Our party holds that this particular attempt to cover corruption places a huge burden on the Buhari-led administration and we call on Mr. President to come clean on the handling of Federal Government funding on COVID-19.

"The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development should therefore end her unnecessary showboating and self-exoneration and get ready to give account of the allegedly diverted billions of naira provided by the Federal Government for COVID-19 palliatives instead of seeking to hide under CACOVID palliatives looting.

"The PDP standing with millions of deprived Nigerians demands that President Muhammadu Buhari immediately order an open and independent public enquiry into the handling of the funds released by the Federal Government as COVID-19 intervention fund," Ologbondiyan furthered.

The Party National Publicity Secretary called on the Humanitarian Minister to give account of her Ministry's expenditure to Nigerian and refrain from hiding under the CACOVID Palliatives.

"The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs should give account of how much was released to her, the specific purchases, with details of contractors; details of distribution of palliatives and agents in all states; as well as details of bank withdrawals and beneficiaries of her N20,000 disbursements.

"Nobody should hide under CACOVID to foreclose investigations into the stealing of funds meant for the poor and vulnerable in our country.

The PDP however restates our call for calm but urges the Federal Government to end such provocative antics being played by its officials to cover corruption",Ologbondiyan added.

However, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development had, in a press through her Media Assistant, Nneka Anibueze, in October stated unequivocally that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development did not procure, distribute or facilitate the distribution of palliatives under the Ca-Covid initiative.