By Tosin Omoniyi

The All Progressive Congress, APC, has said that the ongoing crusade against corruption being carried out by Muhammadu Buhari led – administration was justified considering the massive looting that characterized the immediate past government.

The party said no worthy leader will ignore such cases of impunity.

It described as mind-boggling the massive looting of the nation’s treasury by public officials, saying nothing but the total recovery of the funds will be acceptable to all Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said anyone who attempted to sabotage the recovery efforts of the government should be regarded as an enemy of the state.

It added that the task of bringing corrupt persons to justice was one that needed the support of all.

”It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance,” the APC stated.

It said further that the massive funds looted during the past few years would go a long way in assisting the nation’s development drive.

The ruling party added also that allowing those who stole from the nation’s treasury go away with their loot was dangerous as they could use same to destabilize the government.

”Also, allowing those who privatized the commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that,” the APC said.

The party said it would not be dissuaded by the antics of the enemies of state who had resorted to blackmail to frustrate its efforts at stabilizing the economy.

In the press statement, the party listed some disturbing instances of looting that characterised the past government.

These include the stealing of N3.8 trillion out of the N8.1 trillion earned from crude oil between 2012 and 2015 withheld by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the $2.1 billion from Excess Crude Account unaccounted for, the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR’s unremitted N109.7 billion royalty from oil firms and the $6 billion allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration.

Other corrupt incidents it listed are the 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9 billion lost between 2009 and 2012, the $15 million US from botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria, $13 billion in NLNG dividends mostly unaccounted for, the N30 billion rice waiver and the N183 billion unaccounted for at the Niger Delta Development Corporation, NDDC.

It said these were just a few of the corrupt acts in the last administration, adding that more would soon be discovered as soon as forensic audit is carried out in other sectors of the economy.

”The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and to put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future,” it said.