Posted by By Philip Ogunmade on
Against the background of recent revelation by the chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) witheld N290 billion from the crude oil sales, between January and December 2005, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation has called for the probe of the corporation as well as President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Against the background of recent revelation by the chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) witheld N290 billion from the crude oil sales, between January and December 2005, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation has called for the probe of the corporation as well as President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The group said the probe has become compelling bearing in mind that the continuos energy crisis rocking the country stemmed from the increasing level of corruption in NNPC, alleging that at least $800 million was spent on maintenance of refieneries within the first four years of this democratic process without anything to show for it.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the probe has become paramount, because of the claims by President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration that it is fighting corruption and moreso, his refusal to appoint the Minister of Petroleum.
"Afenifere is therefore calling on the National Assembly to immediately begin a probe of the NNPC and the petroleum minister (Obasanjo). The probe should unearth all the shady dealings that have been going on in the petroleum industry. The probe becomes necessary because many commentators have observed that the major reason there has been perennial energy crisis in Nigeria is the level of corruption in the NNPC.
In the first four years of this regime, over $800 million was spent on Turn Aroud Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries without working and nobody was prosecuted. Equally, many tongues have been wagging as to why the President has not appointed a petroleum minister six and half years. The probe may unravel why this has been so.
"The probe also becomes more urgent in the spirit of posturing of Obasanjo administration that it is fighting corruption...If at the end of the probe, the NNPC and the petroleum minister cannot satisfactorily answer the questions that have been raised, the National Assembly would be advised to take a good look at the impeachment clause. But definitely, Nigerians would not allow this to go the way of the N2.8 billion missing oil money of the 70's," the statement read.