UK Prime Minister, David Cameron was caught on
camera last week before an anti-corruption summit describing Nigeria as
‘fantastically corrupt’, but Nigeria president rallied to the Prime Minister’s
defence by agreeing with him. However, even though Buhari is seen by some as
leading the battle against corruption, worrying allegations swirl around one of
his close allies.
Rotimi Amaechi, who travelled with the president to
the summit, is Nigeria’s transport minister and is said to have bankrolled
Buhari’s presidential campaign.
In the Nigerian press he has been dubbed ‘ATM’ –
the American term for cash machine – because of his ability to produce vast
sums of money at short notice.
He remains in his post despite being accused of
misappropriating £338million by a commission investigating the sale of state
assets. Some of that money is likely to have come from UK
taxpayers, who gave the country £1billion in aid over five years to 2014, including
£248million in 2014 alone.
Separately, Amaechi is accused of diverting
£140million of state funds into Buhari’s presidential campaign, with reports he
paid for media, consultants and private jets.
The allegations come as the president stands
accused of enjoying a lavish lifestyle while many millions suffer in poverty.
A leaked draft budget for 2016 showed the Nigerian
government earmarked £16million for the refurbishment and maintenance of the
president’s official residence, Aso Rock Guest House, in the capital
Abuja. There was also a request for £13million for
building a VIP wing at a hospital used by families of the president and his
ministerial team. Rotimi Amaechi has denied the allegations against him.
Read more at www. dailymail.co.uk
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