‘It's brazen looting,’ PDP reacts to Tinubu’s approval of N1b inauguration expenses for 37-member minimum wage committee

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of N500 million in the first installment of a N1 billion request from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), George Akume, to inaugurate a 37-member committee on national minimum wage negotiation.

A leaked memo made public by an X user, @PIDOMNIGERIA, showed that the N1 billion was a scaled down approval from the original request of a sum which was not disclosed in the memo. But @PIDOMNIGERIA said the initial request was N2 billion.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the approval of a whooping N500 million as first installment of a N1billion approval by Tinubu stands condemned.

According to the PDP, the inauguration of the a 37-man Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage is a routine government activity that doesn’t require much cost.

The leaked memo, the PDP said, validated its long stance that the Tinubu-led government is a cesspit of corruption where officials engage in brazen and reckless treasury-looting.

The statement reads in part; “It is highly provocative and unpardonable that at the time the nation is suffering acute food shortage; when millions of Nigerians are starving due largely to inadequate investment in food production, insecurity and harsh economic policies of the government; a time when workers are still being owed their January 2024 salary and other legitimate entitlements, President Tinubu is allegedly spending NI billion to inaugurate a committee. It is even more revealing that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, allegedly requested for an audacious sum of N1.8 billion for the event which was later scaled down to N1 billion, out of which President Tinubu reportedly directed the SGF to ‘start with N500 million first.’ This further shows that the APC administration is insensitive and has no regard for the plight of Nigerians, whom President Tinubu, during his 2024 budget presentation at the National Assembly described as ‘ordinary people out there.’

“Nigerians can now also see how our national treasury and funds meant for their wellbeing are being looted with reckless abandon by officials of the Tinubu-led APC administration. This is apparently a tip of the iceberg of how looters in the APC administration are cashing out with public funds under the cover of the Presidency as witnessed in the reported plundering of over N44 billion in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

“The PDP calls out the Tinubu Presidency to speak out, come clean and address the nation on this very weighty allegation especially at this time when Nigerians are undergoing excruciating economic hardship. Our Party demands that the National Assembly, pursuant to its powers under Section 88 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) immediately commence investigation into this matter which is already agitating the minds of Nigerians across the country.”