*Say breach of due process in NNPC $26bn scandal,
act of corruption
Popular Musician, Charles Oputa, also known as
Charly Boy and his group, ‘Our Mumu Don Do’, with Concerned Nigerians Group
will on Tuesday commence a sit-out against alleged “naked” display of corruption in
President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The group accused Buhari government of ignoring cases
of quantum corruption in his government while “chasing shadows in the regime's
war against graft.”
The groups had earlier in the year held a sit-out
during Buhari's medical vacation to London, United Kingdom, where they demanded
his return or resignation.
In a statement obtained by the media and signed by
Charles Oputa of Our Mumu Don Do Movement; Deji Adeyanju of Concerned
Nigerians, Ariyo Dare Atoye, Coalition in Defence Of Nigerian Democracy; Bako
Abdul Usman, Campaign For Democracy and Moses Paul, MAD Connect, the groups
cited the history of alleged corruption within the government while Buhari look
the other way.
They said: "Over the course of the last 29
months, several allegations of corruption, mismanagement of public funds and
outright looting of the national treasury have surfaced against top officials
of the administration of President Buhari.
"Recently, a letter written by the Minister of
State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, to President Buhari was leaked. In it, Kachikwu
alleged that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, had entered into contracts worth $26billion
without following due process and in contravention of the provisions of the
NNPC Act, Public Procurement Act and other regulations governing the process
for committing the federal government to contracts.
"Prior to the monumental allegations of
corruption in the leaked letter, several other allegations of corruption and
outright looting of the national treasury had surfaced against other top
officials of the Buhari administration."
"The mismanagement and theft of funds meant
for the welfare of people displaced by the ongoing war against Boko Haram in
the North-east by the suspended Secretary General of the Federation, Mr.
Babachir Lawal, to the tune of N270million.
"Allegations of bribery to the tune of N120billionn
against the Inspector General of Police (IG), Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, by the
Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Navy, Senator Isah Missau.
"Allegations of corrupt enrichment made by the
Ekiti State House of Assembly against the Minister of Mines and Steel
Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to the tune of N40billion.
"During the course of these weighty
allegations, Nigerians had expected that President Buhari would fulfill his
campaign promises of fighting corruption by ensuring the swift investigation,
arrest and prosecution of any person so suspected of looting the public
treasury.
"We are however dismayed by the apathy
displayed in this regard by the federal government.
"Instead, the reports of the investigation of
some of these allegations have been totally ignored by the president.
"In other cases, these officials seek to use
the apparatus of the Nigerian government to silence these allegations and
stifle their investigation and prosecution."
They further stressed that "an example is the
application made by the IG before a High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, seeking an order restraining the Senate from investigating
the allegations of bribery made against him.
"The sit out will commence from 9a.m. and will
hold daily until the president moves to decisively tackle these issues.
"We invite all Nigerians to participate in
this sit-out to compel the federal government to put a halt to the looting of
the public purse and to prosecute all those found culpable of corruption.”
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