ABUJA — THE Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), yesterday, said they were ready for any probe the incoming
administration of President-elect, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) would
undertake.
The Presidency was responding to
Buhari’s resolve to probe the reported Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) missing $20 billion and allegations by the All Progressives Congress
(APC) of last-minute looting of the treasury and rash actions by the outgoing
government. It said the party would probe activities of the government
especially after the March 28 presidential polls.
This is coming as a host of eminent
Nigerians threw their weight behind Buhari’s plan to probe the NNPC.
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Governor and now Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, was suspended by President
Jonathan last year after he alleged that the NNPC failed to remit more than $20
billion of oil revenue to the government.
Addressing State House
correspondents, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr
Reuben Abati, said the release of the report was to put to rest any doubt about
government’s transparency in the oil sector.
According to Abati, the incoming
administration of Buhari is free to review all actions and policies of the
President Jonathan administration, including revenues and expenditure on
projects.
Abati said the President’s decision
to order the release of the audit report was to demonstrate that he had noting
to hide.
Abati said since President Jonathan
also reviewed policies of his predecessors on assumption of office for better
understanding and further actions, General Buhari was free to review the
President’s policies.
He explained that President Jonathan
was deeply concerned by the continuing suggestions that his administration
still has anything to hide about the unproven allegation that about $20 billion
is unaccounted for by the NNPC during his tenure.
“As Alhaji Lai Mohammed threatened
in his statement, the incoming administration will be perfectly within its
rights to review all actions of the present government as it may deem fit…To
lay the matter to rest, President Jonathan in line with Section 7(2) of the
NNPC Act, has directed that the full report of the PWC Forensic Audit of the
NNPC accounts be released immediately to the public so that all Nigerians will
be properly informed on the matter,” he said.
On allegations by the APC spokesman
that looting of the national treasury by Ministries, Department and Agencies,
was ongoing, the Presidential spokesman said: “We also consider as most
unfortunate and uncharitable, the suggestion by Alhaji Mohammed that the
Jonathan Administration is trying to “tie the hands” of the incoming government
merely by continuing to discharge its constitutional responsibilities until the
end of its tenure.
“The Jonathan Administration which
continues to do its best to ensure a smooth and peaceful handover of power to
the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, deeply regrets the unfairness
and combative frame of mind reflected in Alhaji Mohammed’s statement. President
Jonathan has done his best in the past five years to discharge his
constitutional responsibilities for good governance and effective leadership of
the nation.
“Without any prejudice whatsoever to
the freedom of the incoming administration to do as it pleases, within the
confines of extant laws when it assumes office, the Jonathan Administration
will continue to discharge its responsibility to govern until May 29, 2015.
President Jonathan will also never authorise any attempt to create any problems
for the incoming administration as the APC spokesperson, ought to know that the
outcome of the March 28 presidential elections does not imply a cessation of
governance, unjustly alleges,” he said.
Eminent Nigerians back probe
The issue elicited support from a
host of eminent Nigerians, yesterday, who said that the decision to probe the
NNPC is in order.
Probe in order —Etiebet
Former Minister of Petroleum, Chief
Don Etiebet said: “I believe the probe will be very much in order. The subject
matter has been very controversial in the public domain and a succeeding
government, acting in the public interest, has every right to go into it to put
the records straight for posterity’s sake. If the incoming government refused
to probe the NNPC, it can be accused of a cover-up as the subject matter cannot
just go away or be forgotten like that.”
We’re not afraid of probe —PDP
The national leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said yesterday that the party was not in any way
afraid of the planned probe of alleged missing $20 billion from the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC by the President- elect, General Muhammadu
Buhari, retd.
In a text message to Vanguard
yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who noted that
the probe was a welcome development, however warned that as a party, it would
resist any witch-hunt or selective probe, adding that there must be no sacred
cows.
He said, “ PDP is not afraid of
probe, but we would resist any witch-hunt and any probe that is selective or
discriminatory.”
Buhari should be supported on probe —Tsav
Also speaking, a retired
Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said: ‘’The money allegedly
missing in NNPC account is not a small money. It is big and should be a matter
of concern to responsible and responsive governments, including all patriotic
Nigerians. But this seems not to be the case here. The person who reported the
alleged missing funds, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was harassed and intimidated. He
was suspended and his passport impounded. He was hounded for arrest, all in
attempts to silence him. I support the President-elect’s desire to do so when
he assumes office. This move will provide Nigerians the opportunity to know who
between the Presidency and Sanusi is saying the truth. I support Buhari on
this. I support the probe.’’
Buhari should go beyond probing NNPC
—Onyekpere
Executive Director of the Centre for
Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyekpere, described the decision to probe the $20
billion allegation against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
as a welcome development but urged the incoming President Buhari administration
to go beyond the probe to restructure the organization.
According to him, the restructuring
of the NNPC remains the only way to genuinely clean up the system and restore
public confidence in the oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy.
Onyekpere pointed out that
separating the role of the regulator from that of an active industry player was
critical to cleaning up the NNPC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Bill,
PIB.
His words, “It is a welcome
development that the President-Elect would upon the assumption of office probe
the purportedly missing $20 billion. This will help to arrive at the veracity
and truth of the allegation, expose and punish any culprit and restore public confidence
in the oil and gas industry.
“However, what the sector needs is
beyond a probe; it is about a fundamental restructuring that will separate the
regulator from being an active player, introduce private sector efficiency and
pave the way for investors to finance big ticket and long term transactions and
projects in the oil and gas industry.
“It is a positive process of
liberalization that creates opportunities for Nigerians and their friends to be
in a win-win situation and this will untie the binding constraints on Nigeria’s
development. This will be a PIB type of reform that addresses fundamental
issues in the sector without creating new bottlenecks and opportunities for
rent-seeking by government agencies and functionaries.
David-West, Amao endorse probe
Former Minister of Petroleum, Tam
David-West, is fully in support of the probe. He is of the opinion that the
perpetrators, if caught, should be severely punished.
He said: “I am supportive of the
decision by the president-elect to probe the NNPC missing fund, because he will
not close his eyes and see corruption go without adequate punishment.
“This fund is supposedly meant for
the welfare of the masses and the development of other sectors of the country
that would better the lives of ordinary Nigerians. I vote for life imprisonment
for those who are found to be part of such mishap to the country’s economy.’’
However, it is to be noted that the
initiative by the president-elect to probe the culprits is not an act to
witch-hunt anybody, but is to see that evil is rewarded accordingly by
the law. And as such, if armed
robbery is punished, ‘official robbers’ should be given stricter punishment
that would pave way for others with such proclivity.”
He maintained that Buhari should
ensure that he recovers all controversial money that is stolen from the
petroleum industry.
Also, Dr. Ibilola Amao, Principal
Consultant, Lonadek Nigeria Limited, a firm of local content consultants, lauds
the initiative.
“The initiative is refreshing to the
industry, but on a second opinion, it is required of the President-elect, after
the exit of the minister and reshuffling of related cabinet, especially those
who provided data to the auditors, that gave NNPC a clean bill of health.
Clarity is required on debt owed the IOCs, cash calls and payments made for
IOC’s divestment.’’
Extend probe to Gulf oil windfall
report — Adonri
In his reaction, Mr. David Adonri,
Chief Executive Officer, Highcap Securities Limited also expressed support for
the decision of Muhammadu Buhari to probe the allegedly missing $20 billion,
calling, however, for the probe to be extended to the Gulf oil windfall probe
report and other periods in the past.
According to him, the probe should
be extended to past administrations, ensuring that all the monies stolen in the
past till date are recovered.
He said, “$20 billion is a colossal
sum. The last probe of the petroleum industry during Abacha’s tenure indicted
Babangida for the disappearance of $12 billion Gulf war oil windfall.
“Buhari should recover that money
and all others stolen to date from that industry and also address the petroleum
subsidy scam.”
Stakeholders should conduct audit —
Okigbo
Also commenting on the issue, Mr.
Patrick Okigbo, Principal Partner, Nextier Limited, called on Buhari to allow
industry stakeholders to conduct the audit on NNPC’s operational and financial
processes, by engaging the services of independent petroleum sector auditors.
He said, “The main challenge with
Nigeria’s petroleum sector is a lack of transparency with the technical and
financial processes. Most of the transactions highlighted above may have some
merit; however, when cloaked in secrecy, they provide room for fraud and other
forms of abuse.
“There is need for a detailed audit
of the activities of NNPC. However, judging from Nigeria’shistory with audits
of the petroleum industry, there is little or no confidence that an audit
conducted by the government will result in any meaningful changes to the
sector. Therefore, there is need for an organisation of industry stakeholders
to conduct such an audit.
“The audit can be achieved under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The organisation should engage
the services of a forensic audit firm with expertise in the technical and
financial operations of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
No govt can gloss over the issue —Okorie
The National Chairman and
presidential candidate of United Progressive Party in the just concluded
election, Chief Chekwas Okorie said, “The amount is a staggering amount. You do
not expect any government to gloss over it. Since the doubts are there, I think
it is necessary to get the truth about it. Nevertheless, the probe should be what
it is supposed to be and not a witch-hunting exercise.
“The sum of $20 billion is not an
amount to gloss over. That amount can fund a project. The government was busy
borrowing money form financial houses when such an amount was claimed to be
missing.
“When there is doubt, a responsible
government should not gloss over it. If I where him, I would go ahead to probe
the allegation so that it can be used to tackle other issues.”
It’ll expose the truth —Ozon-Eso
The General Secretary of Nigeria
Labour Congress, NLC, Dr. Peter Ozon-Eso said, “Well, I believe it is something
that will be good so that we know where the truth lies because in terms of
payment into the Federation Account, we need to know if there are linkage so
that going forward, the linkage would be blocked.
“The amount of 20 billion dollars is
not chicken feed and so, the probe should also cover those who superintended at
the time, so that Nigerians will know where the truth lies and ensure that such
people are not allowed to exist. I think it is something that should be done.”
Buhari is in order — Adenikinju
Prof. Adeola Adenikinju of
Department of Economics, University of Ibadan and energy consultant for the
European Union, United Nations, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company,
NLNG, The African Economic Research Consortium, OECD, UNIDO, ECOWAS, UNECA, the
World Bank, and the National Data Bank, said: “Well, since it is about
accountability and transparency, in the management of the nation’s oil and gas
sector, it is a welcome development.
“After all, it is an allegation and
the NNPC has said no money is missing, it is important for Nigerians to know
the truth. I think, the President-elect is in order.”
Make corruption a capital offence,
HURIWA begs Buhari
The Human Rights Writers Association
of Nigeria, HURIWA, yesterday, welcomed the resolve of Buhari to investigate
the missing $20 billion.
In a statement in Abuja, the group,
however, cautioned against selective justice or unnecessary witch-hunt of
perceived political enemies, even as it urged the incoming National Assembly to
understudy the Chinese anti-graft model so as to introduce the death penalty as
punishment for corruption by government officials and contractors.
According to the group, “the
decision to probe the alleged missing $20 billion is a welcome recantation or
swift reversal of his earlier unpopular decision not to re- open any corruption
cases that happened before March 28, 2015.
“We urge the President elect to
begin by totally reorganizing the anti-graft institutions by bringing in
capable Nigerians of integrity to head the institutions so as to revive the now
moribund anti-graft bodies.”
It’s a welcome development —Reps
Members of the House of
Representatives, yesterday, said Buhari’s decision to probe the missing NNPC’s
$20 billion was a welcome development.
The lawmakers hinged their
submission on the fact that there is nothing wrong in the president-elect’s
further investigations into the matter.
Deputy Leader of the House, Rep Leo
Ogor said: “It is a welcome development if the president-elect wants to probe
further but at the same time he should be careful not to base whatever action
he wants to take on hearsay alone”.
“Also provided the further probe is
within the ambit of the law we shall gladly look into it because we are all
against corruption in all ramifications”.
In his contribution, Rep Kyari
Gujbawu, PDP, Borno, said” it is a sweet development particularly if you look
at the revolutionary manner he emerged probing, fighting corruption should be a
welcome development so long as it is not a witch hunt.”
Hon. Ogbonnaya Nwuke, the member
representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers State, said it was a
welcome development that will introduce financial discipline and curb
embezzlement in the country.
He said: “The President-elect has
clearly shown that there would be no hiding for system thieves whose penchant
for stealing and looting public funds.”
Attempts to get to the bottom of the
missing money would certainly strengthen the integrity of the incoming
administration in the eyes of the world and doers would pay dearly for the
suffering they bring upon millions of people when selfishly steal from the
public coffers, when they truncate our hope for the provision of basic
infrastructures and debase values are that ethical, fair and just”, he said.
News source :www.vanguardngr.com
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