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LOOTERS’ LIST: APC has baptized Lai into the order of lies, falsehood –Ex-gov Jang

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Former governor of Plateau State and current senator representing Plateau North, Jonah Jang, has denied the allegation by Information and culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, that he looted N12.5 billion.

He said that he once knew Lai Mohammed as a person that always stands for the truth, but that it now appears that since joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that he has been “baptized into the order of lies, falsehood, deception, and propaganda”.

The Information Minister had included Jang in the lists of the nation’s looters, which mainly comprised names of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

But in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos on Wednesday, the former governor denied looting N12.5billion as alleged by Mohammed, describing the claim as “laughable on preliminary evaluation, and pathetic when considered on the scales of truth and reality”.

Part of the statement read, “The list released by Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed at the behest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government wherein he alleged that I got N12.5 billion is laughable on preliminary evaluation, and pathetic when considered on the scales of truth and reality.

“The so called list of looters is a testament to the desperation which holds the All Progressives Congress in its firm grip after what is now certainly an infamous cameo in power considered by many to be tragic and regrettable.

“For all those who were on the list, sources of the funds allegedly looted were stated, but in my case, there was none. How possible is it for me to have gotten N12.5 billion just like that from nobody and nowhere?

“Unlike Lai Mohammed and the Federal Government, I know without any shadow of doubt, that to be a looter, one must have stolen or taken something by force. If their allegation is anything to go by, it falls short of the lowest standards of believability; otherwise they would have noticed that the allegation of getting N12.5 billion from an unknown source isn’t the same as looting the said amount.

“Before going to the Senate, I was Governor of Plateau State from 2007-2015. For 8years, I did my best for my people. The landmark achievements recorded within that period remain unmatched till date.”

Jang further stated that when the APC government in Plateau State took him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), that they could not get a single case of financial impropriety to be filed against him in the courts.

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He said, “The EFCC has thoroughly investigated me and they know I don’t have an offshore bank account. They have all my account numbers and know the balances in each. Did they find the N12.5billion in any of them?

“Apparently unhappy with the findings of the EFCC they quickly ran to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission ICPC, seeking to have me investigated again.

“From the look of things that too would be another wild-goose chase which would ultimately culminate in another anticlimax.”

He added, “Today, a vast majority of Nigerians know that the present Federal Government only pays lip service to the fight against corruption. Where they appear to be serious, it is in media trials and persecution of the opposition and perceived opponents.

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“Why are we not talking of the campaign funds of the APC? Where did they get their funding from? Did they pluck the billions they spent from trees? He asked further. Until and unless they tell Nigerians how they funded their campaigns in 2015, Nigerians would continue to see them as they are, and would not hesitate to vote them out in 2019”, he warned.

“I know Lai Mohammed in our National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) days when we fought for the return of democratic rule to the country putting an end to military dictatorship. I know him to always stand for the truth. Alas, I can finally say that he is not that same person these days.

“In Nigeria today, it would seem that once you join the APC, you become baptized into the order of lies, falsehood, deception, and propaganda.

“Nevertheless, Lai Mohammed must make amends by recanting the phantom allegations he made against my good person within a reasonable timeframe or face the consequence of his indiscretion in the foreseeable future.”

 

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