Felix Morka, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national publicity secretary, has dismissed insinuations that ministers serving under President Bola Tinubu paid billions of naira to secure their appointments.
Morka rejected the claim during an interview on Arise
Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday.
Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the APC Presidential
Campaign Council, had alleged that some ministers paid billions of naira to
secure appointments and enter office intending to recover their investments.
Hassan made the allegation during an interview with Charles
Aniagolu on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Thursday night, while
defending Tinubu’s approach to managing government revenue and expenditure.
Morka said Hassan’s controversial remarks referred to
previous administrations and not the current government.
“When it comes to public conversation, people have different
ways of expressing themselves. Since that interview, I have had a moment to
speak with Alwan, out of curiosity, to understand what he was thinking when he
made those comments,” he said.
“He explained that he was not really referring to this
administration but was speaking in a historical context. In fact, he was simply
saying that ministers in our country have generally had a terrible record of
engaging in this kind of behaviour.
“When Alwan Hassan said ministers pay billions to be
appointed, he was not speaking about the current administration. It was in a
historical context.”
Morka said appointments under Tinubu were based on merit,
competence and the ability to deliver, not financial inducements.
BACK STORY
Hassan had alleged that some ministers paid huge sums to
secure their appointments.
He also claimed that the alleged practice was not limited to
the APC, arguing that ministers have been among the most corrupt public
officials across successive administrations.
“Charles, a lot of ministers pay billions and billions, and
you know, to get themselves appointed. The first thing they think of is how to
recoup that money,” he said.
“The biggest fraudulent people you arrest after every
government are ministers.”
Hassan also argued that successive administrations failed to
address corruption among public officials, particularly ministers.
When Aniagolu suggested that the government was deliberately
approving budgets without adequately funding them, Hassan praised Tinubu’s
direct involvement in expenditure decisions.
“Whatever it is a budget is supposed to do in this country
in the last three and a half years, Asiwaju (President Bola Tinubu) has done it
by himself. Why do we need ministers? Why do we need budget to be given to
ministers?” he asked.
“The way Asiwaju is hands-on on the expenditure of our
revenue is fantastic, and I love it.”
In a post on X following the interview, Aniagolu said
Hassan’s allegation raised serious questions about the process of appointing
ministers and the possible financial interests behind public appointments.
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