Osita Okechukwu
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) on Sunday sent an urgent appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to order an independent inquiry into the 1999-2013 accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“We are making this patriotic appeal not only to stop the revenue leakages bleeding our country to stupor, nor stop the public hearing by the Senate Finance Committee; but to save our democracy and our dear country from harm’s way,” it said in a statement signed by Osita Okechukwu, its National Publicity Secretary.
CNPP said the 2015 general elections will be free, fair and more transparent if Mr. Jonathan can muster the political will to clean the Augean stables in the NNPC since 1999 or even the beginning his regime.
“Without sounding alarmist, the drums of war from several quarters and Do-or-Die attitude, as we approach 2015 general elections seem to echo and revolve around who signs the Oil Signature,” the statement said, adding that such a transparent and independent inquiry, without prejudice to the PIB Bill, would invite credibility to the industry.
“President Jonathan would wittingly ink his name in the hall of fame of history, clear his name from this rot, sacrifice those who are tainting his name and protect our fledgling democracy and our dear country; if he honours this appeal,” CNPP said.
It further noted that no sane person can dismiss with a wave of the hand the monumental disclosure from Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank, who is a constitutionally authorized Economic Adviser to the President, no matter how inaccurate his figures might be.
It said the missing link is the accuracy of Mr. Sanusi’s figures, not the absence of rot in the NNPC, which the independent inquiry would be mandated to unravel and cleanse for posterity.
“For example, can we dismiss his allegation that NNPC’s claim of expending $8.49b in paying subsidy is doubtful? More so after NNPC had officially earlier reported not making deduction for fuel April 2012 and 2013 and when the National Assembly duly appropriated first N888b and secondly Supplementary Budget of over N100b in 2012 for fuel subsidy.
“Secondly, can anyone uphold the sanctity of the Strategic Alliance Agreement between Nigerian Petroleum Development Company {NPDC} an arm of the NNPC and Atlantic Energy and Seven Energy?
“Thirdly, is the sustenance of the so called late General Abacha $10 per barrel- sealing of Production Sharing Contract {PSC} formula of deep offshore Oil Wells not questionable? For Nigerians would wish to know why only $10 per barrel is paid into the Federation Account, even when Crude Oil sells for over $100 per barrel. What a grave injustice to Nigerians?”
Recalling the recent comment of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that the NNPC is the ATM of the PDP-led Federal Government, CNPP expressed worry that the handlers of Mr. Jonathan might feel threatened in their comfort zone if he embarks on this important task, but urged him to remember his oath of office and convoke the inquiry into the accounts of NNPC so as to clear his name.
“Failure to do so means President Jonathan is coming to 2015 presidential election with less than transparent records; for the avoidance of doubt, the regime will be remembered as Jonathan’s regime not in any minister's name,” CNPP warned.
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