Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has said that about N 1.3 trillion was stolen in government coffers between 2011 and 2015, a period that represents Goodluck Jonathan’s reign as Nigerian President.
According to the EFCC’s boss, 32 entities carted away the said amount.
While speaking to trainees of a programme organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in Lagos, Magu, who was represented by EFCC’s Secretary, Ola Olukoyede said the funds could have been used to build about 200 schools and construct over 500km of road.
Magu’s words; “One third of this money (#1.3trn), using World Bank rates and cost, could have comfortably been used to construct well over 500km of roads; build close to 200 schools; educate about 4000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N25million per child; build 20,000 units of two-bedroom houses across the country and do even more.
“The cost of this grand theft, therefore, is that these roads, schools and houses will never be built and these children will never have access to quality education because a few rapacious individuals had cornered for themselves what would have helped secure the lives of the future generations, thereby depriving them of quality education and healthcare, among others.”
*Photo: Magu