The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) censured the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over its failure to remit $20bn into the nation’s treasury.
The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, on Tuesday said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had yet to remit to the Federation Account $20bn out of the $67bn it realised from crude oil sale on behalf of the Federal Government. Sanusi stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance currently investigating the alleged non-remittance.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, condemned the shenanigans being perpetrated by the NNPC.
“It is no longer news that the NNPC is the cesspit of corruption in this country going by the shenanigans being perpetrated by the corporation. Nigerians are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the Corporation actually perpetrated the alleged corrupt act as made known by the CBN. The CBN Governor insisted at the hearing yesterday that a whopping sum of $20bn is still missing as no one could explain the rationale behind the discrepancies that existed between the document that proved the missing figure by Sanusi and the orchestrated figure that has been neatly prepared to meet the needs of their mischievous reasons that was tabled by NNPC. The reality is that the up-to-date documented evidence shows that out of the $67bn that has accrued to the NNPC account, only 47bn was accounted for.
It is obvious that NNPC cannot effectively prove her innocence in this matter. Looting is becoming the trend with the NNPC holding the country by the jugular. If the prevalent level of allegations of corruption against the Petroleum Ministry is anything to go by, the Minister in charge, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, who is also the Chairman of the NNPC should have been asked to step aside as she has neither come up with concrete approach nor taken any meaningful step towards fighting the scourge in the ministry,”Adeniran stated.
The anti-corruption crusader consequently urged the Senate Committee to do a diligent investigation and hand over the report to the relevant anti-graft agencies for prosecution.
He said, “It is a good thing that the upper chamber has taken it upon itself to investigate this allegation. Nigerians are waiting for the report of this investigation. We also urge them to hand over whatever is their finding to the relevant anti-graft agencies to prosecute whoever is found to have abused his office.”
Abimbola Adegoke
Media Officer, CACOL
