BUHARI MUST EXPLAIN ROLE IN N9TN NNPC CONTRACT SCAM SAYS PDP
President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress APC, has been asked on Monday in Abuja by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, to explain to Nigerians what they know about the N9tn ($25bn) contract scam which it said was allegedly perpetrated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, under their watch.
The gauntlet was thrown by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, at a press briefing which was held at the national headquarters of the party.
The briefing was themed, “Where Is President Buhari’s fight against corruption?”
Ologbondiyan urged the President to come clean and live up to his name as ‘Mr Clean’ by throwing more light on the N48bn meant for the upkeep of Internally Displaced Persons but which was allegedly diverted by officials of the government.
He described the Buhari-led Presidency of providing cover for corrupt elements in government while simultaneously harassing opposition figures under the guise of fighting corruption.
He said, “The PDP challenges President Buhari to explain why his anti-corruption fight has not been extended to investigate the corruption from the leaked memo detailing alleged underhand oil contracts to the tune of N9tn ($25bn) at the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which are under the direct supervision of President Buhari as Minister of Petroleum Resources. Why has an investigation into this scam been suppressed?
“The PDP challenges the Buhari Presidency and the APC to explain to the world why his anti-corruption fight has not been extended to the internationally reported diversion and alleged stealing of N18bn out of the N48bn approved by the National Assembly for the rehabilitation of millions of Internally Displaced Persons and rebuilding of six North-East states ravaged by insurgency in the 2017 budget.
“Can the Presidency and the APC claim to be unaware of the motion by Senator Baba Kaka Garba from Borno Central, who exposed how persons, known to have connections with the APC, fraudulently cornered N1.2bn from the Federal Government under the guise of supplying items to the IDPs?”
The PDP national publicity secretary also tasked President Buhari in his capacity as substantive minister of petroleum resources to speak up on the secrecy surrounding subsidy payment for Premium Motor Spirit, noting that the N58 fuel tax being paid by Nigerians under his stewardship called for soul-searching
He said, “The PDP challenges President Buhari to explain to Nigerians whose interest he is protecting by refusing to allow an independent inquest into the alleged corruption in the handling of the N1.4tn oil subsidy regime allegedly involving officials at the Presidency, particularly those benefiting from alleged N58 hidden tax per liter which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increased from PDP subsidised cost of N87 to presumably unsubsidised cost of N145.”
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