Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, Afenifere has said that the revelation by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu that N300 billion has been recovered from a secret account maintained by ministries, agencies and parastatals at the federal level has once again raised the need for a comprehensive probe of the Obasanjo presidency.
The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, Afenifere has said that the revelation by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu that N300 billion has been recovered from a secret account maintained by ministries, agencies and parastatals at the federal level has once again raised the need for a comprehensive probe of the Obasanjo presidency.
The body stated that the senators should not limit themselves to retrieving the funds in the secret account, but should be sufficiently sad that such practice has been going on for years.
According to a statement, issued by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin said: 'We want to know those behind the account and on whose authority the sleaze was perpetrated. It would also appear from Ekweremadu's statement that this practice has been on for years and Nigeria in the process has been fleeced of several billions of naira by thieving officials and political rulers.
'The implication of this discovery is that the financial rascality and roguery of the Obasanjo years has been inherited by the Yar'Adua era.
'The National Assembly must, as a matter of urgency, launch a comprehensive probe into the financial dealings of the Obasanjo presidency, especially as it affects sales of crude oil.
'It was the pastime of the Obasanjo administration that the benchmark of oil price would be fixed at rock bottom so as to rake in the obnoxious 'excess crude money" which was crudely shared without budgeting.
'This was a great source of corruption that unfortunately now appears to be the line of financial guide by the Yar'Adua government.
'Bringing Obasanjo to book over his handling of our money is the surest guarantee that those there now will be careful with our resources.
'The secret account must not be swept under the carpet like Ettehgate, Wilbros and other mind-boggling scandals."