BY Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji -
Abuja
FORMER chairman of DAAR Communications, owners of African
Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who is facing charges for
money laundering, has said that the much publicised arms procurement fund
diversion scandal is a hoax.
Dokpesi made the declaration while being presented with the
certificate of National Patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National
Youth Vanguard in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He is currently facing trial for allegedly receiving about N2
billion, part of diverted arms procurement money from the Office of the
National Security Adviser under Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd).
However, the media mogul has observed that the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) has subjected the PDP to massive persecution,
political reprisal and vendetta.
He said: “I wish to emphasise that the current ruling party
is making efforts to impede our journey to political maturity through the
manipulation of the federal system to serve purely partisan interests.
“Our party is indeed experiencing a massive persecution,
political reprisal and vendetta, of the kind never before seen on our shores
and targeted at the leadership, membership and indeed sympathisers of the PDP
by the APC government of the day.
“I speak with regards to several matters before the law
courts of our country concerning PDP members and especially my humble self on
charges filed against us by the Federal Government and would crave your
indulgence not to make any comments as doing so would be sub judice.
“However, let me call on all members of the PDP nationwide
especially you members of the Youth Vanguard to remain firmly, resolute and
stand behind the leadership of the party at all levels in our bid to ensure the
party gets fair hearing and judgments in all the cases at the various election
tribunals. The provisions of section 287 of our constitution are very clear on
the obedience of court orders by all arms of government.
“Having said so, I must hasten to assure you that there is
nothing like the much flaunted 2.1 billion USD arms gate. The competent courts
of our land would sooner or later prove this coinage aimed at decimating the
leadership and membership of our great party to be nothing but a hoax.”
He recalled that similar events has occurred in the 80s and
called on members of the party to stick together to weather the present
adversity.
According to him, “Some of us are reminded of the events of
1984/85 which by any stretch of comparison are similar to the unfolding events
of today.
“As I have said not too long ago, we must stand resolutely
united especially in the face of this momentary political adversity. For one
thing, I say again that the PDP is not dead, is not dying and will not die.”
Dokpesi spoke of a free press as the bastion of democracy
and vowed that his media chain would not succumb to intimidation as it would
continue to propound democratic ideal with transparency and accountability.
He added: “We have weathered the storm of oppression, we have
been vilified many times, we have also been persecuted in our constitutional
duties to make government and government officials accountable to the Nigerian
people but we never wavered. During the infamous third term tenure elongation
agenda, we dared to speak up, but speak up we did!
“We have always been on the path of human rights,
citizen participation in the democratic process, transparency and
accountability. These ideals have not changed and will never change.
“I assure you ladies and gentlemen, the youth and vitality of
this nation, our faith in Nigeria remains unshakable. We will support any
policy of government that seeks to promote the ideals of good governance. But
we should also not be cowed to speak up where we disagree.”
While accepting the honour done to him by the PDP National
Youth Vanguard, he told the members that they were the future of the country
and must decide the direction of the country.
“It is you who must bring about the actualisation of the much
vaunted potential of our country. You constitute the veritable platform on
which the future of this country must stand,” Dokoesi stated.
Meanwhile, the PDP National Youth Vanguard stormed the
national secretariat of the party in Abuja, on Wednesday, to protest what they
said was the persecution of the party members by the ruling APC.
Speaking at the occasion, the National Coordinator of the
group, Ambassador Ibrahim Bala Aboki, decried the selective application of the
anti-corruption war.
He said while the group was in support of the war, it however
detested its one sidedness and called on the Federal Government to refrain from
further arrest of PDP members.
Members of the
group carried banners bearing various inscriptions including “PDP still
intact,” “PDP says yes to anti-corruption,” “We say no to political
media trial,” “No to selective justice,” “We say no to continuous arrests,”
etc.
Source : Nigerian Tribune
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