The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Bola Tinubu-led administration as being wasteful and reckless in the application of scarce resources, questioning him over what it described as an over-bloated delegation to the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The party observed in a statement by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary on Monday that the delegation is reportedly brimming with his cronies, political minions and their mistresses at huge expense to the nation.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has already stated that not all Nigerians attending the conference are sponsored by the government.
However, the main opposition party maintained that the alleged large that is “a further validation that the Tinubu-led APC administration is wasteful, frivolous and reckless in the application of the scarce resources of the nation, especially at a time Nigerians are yearning for prudent management of resources to achieve the desired infrastructural regeneration, job creation and revamping of the economy.”
The PDP dismissed the Presidency’s attempt to rationalize the delegation “by trying to hide under genuine sub-national officials, businesses, journalists and Civil societies who are traveling at their own expense to cover the baggage of cronies, mistresses and other hangers-on associated with the Presidency who are reportedly attending at government’s expense and have no relevance whatsoever at the Conference.”
According to the statement, the party and all well-meaning Nigerians “are appalled by the level of profligacy inherent in the APC administration whose actions and policies so far are skewed towards the promotion and institutionalization of corruption.
“The attempt to deceive Nigerians even when the list of the delegation is in the public domain, shows that the APC administration is irredeemably depraved.
“We ask, why would a country whose citizens are dying daily from inability to purchase necessities be willing to fritter its resources and scarce foreign exchange in such a manner? It only points to the fact that this administration is not interested in the good of the generality of our citizens but for a select few positioned to fleece the nation’s resources.”
The PDP challenged the Presidency to come clean by making public the names of the official delegation sponsored by the Federal Government to the Conference, the relevance of such individuals to the Conference and the total cost of such sponsorship on the nation.
“Of course, Nigerians have the list and they know the genuine officials of sub-national governments and other self-sponsored entities at the Conference,” it said.
The PDP called on the National Assembly, pursuant to its Constitutional duty under Section 88 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which empowers it to investigate and expose corruption by any organ of Government, to immediately commence investigation into “this embarrassing revelation and impose appropriate sanction on anyone or Institution found culpable in that regard.”
“Our Party also demands that President Tinubu should be ready to refund any Federal Government fund improperly spent to sponsor any individual who has no relevance at the Conference. Such funds should be channeled to projects that have direct bearing on the wellbeing of Nigerians,” the statement declared.
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