—Says he has nothing to hide
By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate release of the full report of a “forensic audit” of the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for Nigerians to be properly informed on the controversial matter of the alleged missing of $20 million.
The audit was carried out by the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) after the then Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had accused the NNPC of not remitting $20 million oil revenue to the nation’s coffers.
Sanusi was subsequenly fired by Jonathan for blowing the whistle.
Sanusi, now Emir of Kano, has been insisting that the money was still missing.
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari weighed in on the issue two days ago when he said his administration would probe the transaction when he comes into office, alleging that the Jonathan Administration had tried to sweep Sanusi’s allegation under the carpet.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, who disclosed Jonathan’s directive to State House correspondents in Abuja yesterday, said the president acted in line with provisions of Section 7(2) of the NNPC Act.
He said the president directed that the report be made public because he was “deeply concerned by the continuing suggestions that his administration still has anything to hide about the unproven allegation that about $20 billion is unaccounted for by the NNPC during his tenure.”
Abati also expressed concern over the allegation by the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that officials of the federal government were engaged in “last minute looting of the nation’s resources, rushed privatisation of key institutions and hurried recruitment into the public service.”
He said the remarks by the APC spokesperson was most unfortunate and uncharitable, especially his insinuation that the Jonathan Administration was trying to “tie the hands” of the incoming government.
He said: “The Jonathan Administration, which continues to do its best to ensure a smooth and peaceful handover over of power to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, deeply regrets the unfairness and combative frame of mind reflected in Alhaji Mohammed’s statement.
“President Jonathan has done his best in the past five years to discharge his constitutional responsibilities for good governance and effective leadership of the nation.
“Without any prejudice whatsoever to the freedom of the incoming administration to do as it pleases, within the confines of extant laws when it assumes office, the Jonathan Administration will continue to discharge its responsibility to govern until May 29, 2015.”
Abati said Jonathan would never condone any form of unscrupulous conduct on the part of state officials or authorise any attempt to create any problems for the incoming administration as the APC spokesperson alleged.
“As Alhaji Mohammed threatened in his statement, the incoming administration will be perfectly within its rights to review all actions of the present government as it may deem fit.
“We see nothing wrong with that. After all, the present Administration reviewed the actions of previous governments on assumption of office with resultant benefits for policy and project implementation.”
