HOW LAI MOHAMMED COLLECTED N135MILLION LOAN FROM GOVT AGENCIES FOR TRIPS, PR

Information Minister, Mr. Lai Mohammed has so far borrowed over N135million from the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC and other agencies of Government for travels and Public Relations activities for the Buhari’s administration, according to documents seen released recently. 

Only recently released document from NBC shows that Mr. Mohammed had requested to borrow N13million to travel to china, on an assignment he says will be in the interest of the nation.

Sources within the Ministry of Information and Culture told Pointblanknews.com that the Minister has so far borrowed more than is known to the public.

According to a source who will not want to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the Press, Mr. Mohammed has sent in several letters to the NBC and some other parastatals under the Information and Culture Ministry for loans claiming to need the funds to carry out “duties for the
government.”

“The Minister has sent out several letters to some agencies within out Ministry and I can tell you, the money he has collected so far is more than what has been reported. From the last letter I saw, he has collected over N135million.

This source gathered from inside sources that Mr. Mohammed has become one of the richest Ministers in the Buhari’s Government from fees he allegedly collects from Ministries and Agencies claiming to be handling their Public Relations briefs.

The source also hinted that the information Minister goes around with cash in the trunk of his newly acquired Mercedes G Wagon he drives around Abuja, dolling them out to media men and those handling PR for the Government.

“He does not only collect from agencies within the Ministry, he also collects funds from other Ministries and Agencies to do PR work for them too,” an information officer with one of the Ministries told Pointblanknews.com. 

SaharaReporters had published the memo from the Information Ministry to the NBC requesting for a N13million loan for a Tourism investment drive to China.

In a response to SaharaReporters questions about the loan, Mr. Mohammed had said while he does not owe Nigerians an explanation about how he spends tax payers’ money, “I am so disappointed that an internal memo like that would be with SaharaReporters, it shows a lack of integrity in the
ministry.”

SaharaReporters had also 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.”

But credible sources within the Ministry told Pointblanknews.com that Mr. Lai Mohammed lied because he indeed has several other letters he directed to be written requesting for loans.

Efforts by Pointblanknews.com to reach the Minister were not successful as his phone line was not connecting.