-
Why should Lai Mohammed
and his group go to China if they do not have the monies?
- What did lai Mohammed accomplish in China?
-
Why did he deposit this
N13 million in his personal account?
·
A letter has been obtained written on behalf
of the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed to the National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC) requesting a loan of N13,120,470. Read more at:
The letter, authored
by the Director of Public Relations and Protocol, NPD Dama, begins by stating
“I am directed to inform you [NBC] that the Honourable Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is proceeding on official assignment to China
on Sunday, 15th May 2016.
It
then continues, “the Honourable Minister has therefore approved that you loan
the Ministry the total sum of (N13,120,470) thirteen million, one hundred and
twenty thousand four hundred and seventy Naira only to enable him and his team
embark on the China trip to carry out the assignment.”
Mr. Mohammed confirmed the
existence of the loan to a SaharaReporters correspondent saying “it’s not unusual
when the ministry wants to do something but you don’t have enough funds you ask
one of your parastatals under you to provide the funds for the trip.”
“While we are waiting for the
appropriate head to have the money you can go to any of your parastatals and
ask, give us the money and when we are funded we will return the money to you,”
he added.
Mr. Mohammed also told our
correspondent that he could not access his Ministry’s budget because it has
only just now been approved. Worried about how the memo was leaked, Mr.
Mohammed said, “I am so disappointed that an internal memo like that
would be with SaharaReporters, it shows a lack of integrity in the ministry.”
When questioned why Mr. Mohammed requested a loan from the NBC, and not from a
tourism parastatal since the trip is for tourism investment, he responded by
saying “the way the ministry is run is not the subject of public discussion.”
Later, however, Mr. Mohammed
revealed that there was not enough money in the department of tourism to cover
the expenses of his trip to China.
He was then asked
whether multiple letters requesting “loans” were also sent to various
government agencies and parastatals under his watch, which Mr. Mohammed
replied, “I do not owe you an obligation or duty to tell you that.”
When our correspondent pushed
the minister to offer a breakdown of the trip costs he again stated: “that I do
not owe you any obligation to tell you that.”
He was again asked: “don’t you owe the public explanation for how you spend their money?” To which Mr. Mohammed said, “I do not.”
He was again asked: “don’t you owe the public explanation for how you spend their money?” To which Mr. Mohammed said, “I do not.”
You can read the entire
letter below:
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