Posted by By TONY OSAUZO, Benin on
Former Foreign Affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, has said the probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in the last eight years will reveal how the ‘mother of corruption' was committed in the history of the country by a regime that vowed to rid it of corruption.
Former Foreign Affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, has said the probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in the last eight years will reveal how the ‘mother of corruption' was committed in the history of the country by a regime that vowed to rid it of corruption.
According to the Action Congress chieftain: 'In a few days time, the probe of the NNPC will start. When the probe of the NNPC starts, it is like opening a can of worms. When you open it, the stench that will come from it will engulf the entire nation.
'This is a time when Nigeria has earned the kind of resources it has never earned before. When I was in government up to 1998, the highest that the government was able to get for a barrel of crude oil was 12 dollar
'As soon as Obasanjo took over, it jumped to 25, 35, 50 dollars and even beyond 60 dollars throughout his tenure. We had oil windfall with a surplus of over 30 dollars throughout the period. And it has become clear that this has not been accounted for.
'Now we know, at least the country know that he (Obasanjo), who has always talk of corruption, who has always talk of probity, who has always pointed fingers at other people, who hounded his deputy, Atiku throughout this period that he, therefore, becomes the biggest culprit."
Chief Ikimi, who spoke to journalists yesterday in Benin in an interview, accused former president Olusegun Obasanjo of seeking a retrospective approval of the activities of NNPC in six years from the federal executive council.
How can he ask for an retrospective approval of things he has done six years ago, when the council six years ago is no longer constituted? Because the first council he administered is no longer there.
'These people were not the member of the council. And can somebody read memorandum of six years or so and give a retrospective approval and I heard it has already been approved.
I think it is up to you people, members of the press to actually highlight this and to keep everybody informed."
He called on those who would be saddled with the role to be very well prepared and ask the right questions on the NNPC.
Besides, he urged them to be above board as the issues concerned were already in the public domain.