The Federal Government, on Monday, explained that its delay in moving against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was because it is trying to establish the magnitude of fraud and inefficiencies the corporation, and the nation’s oil and gas industry was fraught with over the last couple of years.
Speaking in an interview on the Nigerian Television Authority’s, NTA, ‘Good Morning Nigeria,’ programme, President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that the government is already working with some individuals that are helping it to track the destination of stolen crude oil and the accounts the proceeds are paid into.
He said, “Frankly, I read the stories too that I intend to break up the NNPC. I think the best way to go about it is to establish the fact of the magnitude of the inefficient ways the NNPC conducted itself.
When we do that we will be on a higher moral ground to carry out whatever recommendations that have been made to us.”
He maintained that the NNPC has lost track of the number of accounts belonging to it, adding that the government is discreetly working with some Nigerians to ensure that perpetrators of fraud in the oil and gas sector are brought to book.
“We have to maintain high confidentiality so that we do not put at risk, some of the Nigerians that are helping us to trace some of the destination of this stolen crude and then the account where they are being paid into instead of the federal government account.
“I do not think the NNPC knows how many accounts are outside there, which payments are being made for Nigerian crude which is really an outright theft. The money we want to intercept which have been going on for a number of years, a lot of Nigerians will not comprehend,” he explained.
Buhari lamented the fact that the crude oil swap programme has over the years been used to defraud the country, stating also that a number of operators in the oil and gas industry have displayed lack of conscience and love for the country.
He said, “These individuals have refineries all over the world. The swapping, is tied into a major killing ground for corrupt officials with an average evil to loot the country’s crude, work out how much they can bring back to us and we pay for the transportation and for the refining.
The swapping programme is such a dishonest way in which Nigeria is consistently losing on daily basis, millions of dollars. I think the people who have been operating in the industry, a lot of them have displayed lack of conscience and patriotism, and only God knows the amount of damage their actions have inflicted on Nigeria.”
Expressing optimism that the United States and other European countries are willing to cooperate with Nigeria in repatriating funds that are proceeds of corruption and stolen crude, the President however, stated that the Federal Government is working to ensure that it complies with the laws of these countries and provide them with the needed documents that will help expedite the repatriation.
He said, “These countries are willing. I have also said that we have to comply with their system; that we have to get the document, especially the shipping documents, how we load from our terminals, their destinations. It is important to note that some of them change the crude and the destinations in the high seas and then change the account it needs to be paid into. Instead of the Federal Government account, they are paid into individual accounts.
“The cooperation we need is that once we get hold of the shipping documents and we are lucky to trace them out to the countries where they sold the crude and which account it goes into and we submit the evidence in terms of loading, in terms of payments being in accounts other than the Federal Government account.
“Once we do that, we are very willing to make sure that those accounts are frozen and the money repatriated to Nigeria. It is not an easy process, but I assure you that we are working very hard. We cannot say that we wait until everything is intact before we let you know. Whichever we are able to get in the following months or a couple of months, we will bring it out for Nigerians to know, with facts in our hands and prosecution started for those who perpetrated the unpatriotic action against Nigeria for so many years.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Yes, hard times awaits the thieves of our commonwealth. Sin must be punished. That is Godly justice. Nigerians patiently wait for the disclosure. We are in exciting times indeed!
ReplyDeleteNigerians should pray that the Petroleum Minister who presided over these alleged monumental frauds recovers quickly from her illness so she can come and "debunk all these lies being perpetrated by her detractors". She will come and show the world that she "never stole one kobo from Nigeria", that she is "very, very clean" and has "worked for every kobo she has spent in life". My dear sister, don't mind them. They are simply envious that a Niger Delta woman could be so powerful and coordinate so much complexity. These your detractors are even dragging the names of your bosom friends Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore into their devilish false stories. They don't realise that these perfect gentlemen have in fact been nominated as "Cardinals in Waiting", and have been so penciled down by the Pope. So, my sister, never mind. We shall overcome all these wicked detractors! Amen!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHahahahahah....Very well put. we all pray for the speedy recovery of the frog-eyed minister from a sudden-from-nowhere sickness. When she was dancing and shaking her backside on the podium during PDP Presidential campaign in Abuja she didn't even complained of the slightest headache, but now that there is a new sheriff in town, she has come down with Buharflu. If it means to crate you back to account for the $$$Billoins of Nigeria's money you and your gang of Thieves has bled this country we shall ensure it is done for the sake of future generations who you and your ilk have already denied any meaningful future. Just look at the mess Nigeria is in currently...
DeleteDeceive yourself! So the current mess was caused by the Petroleum Minister and not by any of the APC chieftains? Time will tell...
DeleteIf the Western world could keep a log of slaves transplanted from Africa half a millennium ago, tracking illicit monies in their vaults shouldn't pose a problem. We need help. Loans cannot afford us all we need to move forward.
ReplyDeleteI wish Buhari will also look into the Contract staffs matter in NNPC while because is also a corruption to employ Nigeria citizen that are also graduate into any of the Federal ministries, Agencies and paratatas. so i think is not proper to be employing Nigeria citizens that are graduates as contract staffs into any federal job.
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