Ministries, Education Ministry Tops With
N1.2 Trillion
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State
Chapter has congratulated the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for
ordering the comprehensive probe of the
N4trillion debt by 28 Ministries and their
departments and agencies handed over by the
immediate past administration of former
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
“We are deeply sad and embarrassed that the
highest culprit among the 28 Federal Ministries
was the one headed by a Rivers son, Barr.
Nyesom Wike as Minister of State and later as
substantive Minister.
“Out of the total sum of N4 trillion debts
accumulated largely through unconscionable and
reckless contract awards and graft, the Federal
Ministry of Education under Nyesom Wike came
out tops with a total debt of N1.2 trillion or 30
percent of the total indebtedness by the 28
Ministries” the party said in a statement today
signed by its chairmain Chief (Dr.) Davies
Ibiamu Ikanya.
The statement reads in full:
“For the APC, judgment time has come for the
former Minister now Governor of Rivers State
given that a number of sordid things were
perpetrated in the Ministry while under his
watch.
“The then Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom
Wike got audit queries in his Ministry for 3 years
which he blatantly refused to respond to. And
each time he was reported to the then President
Jonthan, the President did nothing but rather
shielded him from responding to queries in line
with civil service rules.
“At some point, the matter was reported to the
National Assembly Committees on Public
Accounts who invited the then Minister, Barr.
Nyesom Wike for clarifications. Again, he
blatantly refused to comply with the invitations
with the active protection of former President
Jonathan.
“The APC recalls that sometime ago, a
mysterious fire broke out at the Federal Ministry
of Education Headquarters, Abuja in what was
allegedly a deliberate arson to destroy vital
evidence on corruption in the Ministry with
fingers pointing at some highly placed persons.
“The APC has earlier drawn attention to an
allegation that N20bn was released for the
purchase of books for Federal Government
institutions, adding that such books were never
provided. We also drew attention to the Almajiri
School Scheme, the Universal Basic Education,
the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the
N87bn approved for the ministry but not utilised.
Another is the N180bn UBEC funds allegedly
looted by Chief Wike and Dame Patience
Jonathan, through fraudulent contracts for the
supply of textbooks to higher institutions but
the textbooks were never supplied.
“When the special task force to conduct the
probe of the Ministries is raised by the Federal
Government, The APC would like it to be
meticulous with its assignment especially with
the Federal Ministry of Education that was
headed by an artful dodger and master of
underhand deal-making.”
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