Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, on Monday said some 1.34 trillion naira ($6.72 billion, 6.15 billion euros) was allegedly stolen between 2006 and 2013 by just 55 people.
Giving a breakdown of the alleged theft, Mohammed claimed:
– 15 former state governors stole 146.84 billion naira
– 11 businessmen took 653 billion naira
– Eight people in the banking industry stole 524 billion naira
– 12 former state and federal public servants made off with more than 14 billion naira
– Five former lawmakers pilfered 8.35 billion naira
– four former ministers took seven billion naira.
“Using World Bank Rates and Costs, one third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18 kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern hospitals, that is one ultra modern hospital per state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million per child; and built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses,” he said.
“This is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a period of just eight years. And instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the Government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta.” he added.
