Mr. President, recall that long before the revelation of an unremitted $20billion to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the alleged use of N10billion to fly Private Jets by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, I had advised you through several open letters in national newspapers to give bite to your anti-corruption battle by sacking and prosecuting those found wanting in your cabinet especially the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
My contention then and even now is predicated on the several reports detailing the financial recklessness pervading the operations of the NNPC, which has Madam Minister as its board chairman. Among the reports are the KPMG report on NNPC carried out in 2010, the 2012 Nuhu Ribadu Report on NNPC, Aigboje Aig-Imhokhuede’s report, Farouk Lawan’s Report on fuel subsidy and the Berne Declaration Report which indicted the NNPC of massive corruption. Added to these is the alleged unremitted $20billion to the Federation account by the NNPC and the alleged use of N10 billion to fly Private jets by Madam Minister.
Besides, there have been international outcry about the menace of corruption in our country which had further emboldened me to forge ahead because the little efforts one is making to right the wrongs in Nigeria have not failed to galvanize world attention to the malaise of corruption in this country which has ultimately culminated in world leaders recognition and outcry against the ravages of official kleptocracy in Nigeria.
Recently, Mr. President, a former Secretary of State of the United States, Hilary Clinton, made scathing remarks about how official sleaze and corruption had retarded the economic growth of our country. According to Hilary, “Nigeria has made bad choices, not hard choices. They have squandered their oil wealth, they have allowed corruption to fester and now they are losing control of parts of their territory because they wouldn’t make hard choices.”
Also, the U.S. State Department in its year 2011 report on global human rights, asserted that even though the three tiers of the Nigerian government were ridden with “massive, widespread and pervasive corruption,” the Federal Government failed to respond with “appropriate punitive” measures.
My concern is that since the buck stops at the table of Madam Minister, over the alleged missing $20billion and the use N10billion to fly private jets, one individual’s action or inaction should not be allowed to tarnish the image of the entire citizenry both at home and in Diaspora.
Mr. President, what is the need for a forensic audit when you have publicly raised doubts about the possibility of such a humongous amount being missing? Recall that while responding to a question on the ‘missing’ $20 billion’ during last week’s media chat, you said, “If anyone steals $50 billion or $20 billion anywhere, America will know. They will tell you where it is; it is their money.” Why not wait for the verdict of the US instead of further wasting taxpayer’s money on a frivolous project already doomed to fail? Besides, how logical is it to name a man accused of stealing a needle among the search party to find it?
Therefore, permit me sir, to urge Nigerians to disregard the work and ultimate report of the panel if Diezani is not suspended or sacked before the commencement of their investigation. This has become imperative because Diezani’s case is not different from that of Sanusi that was suspended over allegations of ‘financial recklessness’ nor that of the former Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, who was sacked on allegation of using N255million to purchase two bullet-proof cars. Why should Sanusi and others not be allowed to enjoy the same ‘presidential protection’ apparently being accorded Deizani? Moreover, I would want to believe, with great suspicion, that Mr. President has had a change of mind as to the missing money, hence, the forensic audit.
Again, Mr. President, since you told Nigerians that Sanusi was suspended as chair of the CBN Board, based on ongoing investigation to validate the report of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, one would want to believe that what is good for Sanusi is also good for Diezani, since she also chairs the Board of the NNPC. Is it not worrisome that many eminent world leaders have blamed the sadistic occurrences in our country on the inability of our government to provide social justice due largely to kleptomania?
I want to say without equivocation or fear of contradiction that with the sum of $20billion now declared missing, our Armed Forces would have been better equipped to forestall dastardly national emergencies like the over 200 girls now held captive by terrorists.
The questions agitating the minds of Nigerians at this time include: On whose recommendation was the audit firm appointed? Was the job advertised as prescribed by the Public Procurement Act? How many audit firms bided for the job? Was the present firm selected through competitive bidding?
Who appointed the audit firm? Is it Diezani? Ngozi? Presidency?
As a concerned Nigerian, I need to know like many other Nigerians equally need to know. Flowing from widespread suspicion surrounding the credibility of the auditors, permit me to use this medium to enjoin the National Assembly to probe the process that led to their selection to carry out the forensic audit.
Even though there are susurrations in some quarters that the money concerned was moved to a subsidiary of NNPC under an agreement, what I am interested in as a taxpayer is the whereabouts of the money and if at all it was moved to a subsidiary of NNPC, what is the legality of such an action?
Moreover, in the light of worrisome information that emissaries have been allegedly dispatched to ‘arrange’ the Senate probe report in order to give Madam Minister a clean bill of health, kindly permit me to use this opportunity to urge the House of Representatives’ panel investigating the matter not to relent until the truth is unearthed.
Sir, permit me to say that since my first open letter to you on this matter last year, I have been inundated with several threat messages, phone calls and unbearable intimidation and harassment, all designed to shut me up. However, I will resolutely continue on this path which promises a better future for Nigerians and a country free of corruption, notwithstanding increasing threats to my life and safety.
Above all, the missing $20billion is a national embarrassment. It has painted Nigerians in bad light both at home and in Diaspora. This is why I will not fail to go to court to stop the investigation and ask the court to order the sack and prosecution of Madam Minister, if Mr. President refuses to replicate his action against Sanusi on this issue.
With best regards.
