The prolonged silence following the botched House of Representatives’ probe into the mismanagement of the monies earmarked for oil subsidies and for oil marketers – have begun to raise uneasy concerns within some quarters – particularly the civic societies. According to the Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organization [CLO], the right people to be tried for thievery in the oil sector are not the marketers. It is the officials of NNPC, PPMC, DPR, Petroleum Ministry, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and other dubious entities who were involved in the graft.
Speaking to 247ureports.com on the ongoing fraud within the oil sector in Nigeria, the Executive Director of the CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike pointed accusing fingers directly at the managers of the oil economy as corrupt and unfit to remain at the realm of affairs. He called for their arrest and prosecution.
Comrade Ezike opined that following the presidential panel which investigated the supposed abuse of the oil subsidy regime – that none of the oil economy managers or top marketers were brought to book. He saw Farouk Lawan’s bribery scandal as just a tip of the iceberg compared to the illegalities that created the bold abuse of over N1trillion in Nigerian oil resources.
He questioned whether there were people who certified that the marketers supplied what they did not supply and recommended them for payment and people paid them. Were these persons not culpable? Are they being tried as well?
In his words, “we have made our position clear on government’s insincerity in the war against corruption in the land. Both past and present regimes have not shown serious commitment in their acclaimed war against graft and corrupt people. Honorable Farouk Lawan is just one. In their so called prosecution of oil thieves, who are the major oil thief being prosecuted. The right people to be tried for thievery in the oil sector are not the marketers. It is the officials of NNPC, PPMC, DPR, Petroleum Ministry, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and other dubious entities who were involved in the graft. There are people who certified that the marketers supplied what they did not supply and recommended them for payment and people paid them. Are these persons not culpable? Are they being tried as well? If they are not, the whole exercise is a crocodile tear. Farouk Lawal, oil marketers and their collaborators should face trial”.
Civil Liberties Organization [CLO] is the foremost human rights not-for-profit, non-governmental organization in Nigeria. The CLO is the largest human rights and democracy national group in Nigeria with membership and offices around the country. The membership of CLO cuts across different professions: lawyers, journalists, market women, artisans, and others. It has offices in all the 36 States of Nigeria with over 42,000 members.
