Piqued by the way the issue around the now controversial fuel subsidy has been handled, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded the resignation of all key players in the management of fuel subsidy, including the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, as a precondition for a successful probe and prosecution of those found to have sabotaged the country by stealing the money meant for subsidising petrol.
The group also appealed to the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the leadership of the ministry and agencies under it temporarily vacate their offices in the interest of transparent investigation.
CNPP said in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday that it only makes sense that Nigeria adopts international best practices in dealing with corruption since the government has proven that it is in a hurry to embrace international trends in running the affairs of the country.
In the statement signed by Chief Willy Ezugwu, the CNPP Secretary General, the group warned that the probe in the oil sector would be another charade if the likes of Allison-Madueke, Group Managing director of the NNPC, Executive Secretary of PPPRA and other key players in the industry are allowed to continue calling the shots since they would most likely influence the direction and outcome of the probe.
The statement said: “It is interesting that Allison-Madueke invited the EFCC to investigate the corruption in NNPC, PPPRA and other agencies in the oil industry considering that the greatest fraud might have taken place under her watch, given the N1.4 trillion spent on subsidy just in the space of one year.
“We find her continued stay in office akin to the judge being the jury and the prosecutor being the defense in a case. It is this attitude to running government that fuels the anger for the ongoing protests in several parts of the country.”
The CNPP added: “For the avoidance of doubts, the home video styled invasion of PPPRA and NNPC by EFCC operatives has every semblance of what we have seen before and we know this does not usually yield any result. The Civil Society Group and other stakeholders have presented a petition to the EFCC. Our suggestion is that the EFCC follow up on this petition and the attached documents instead of allowing itself to be the puppet of the cabal as exemplified in the directive to investigate as issued by the Minister of Petroleum.”
It said the Coalition of Civil Society and other stakeholders in Abuja have submitted an independent petition for the EFCC to investigate the sleaze in the oil sector and that this petition provides a better working document for the EFCC instead of the script presented to it by the Petroleum Minister.