Oil Probe- Jonathan Vows to deal with Culprits

President Goodluck Jonathan had declared yesterday that those found wanting in the report of the House of Representatives Committee that examined the implementation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria will not be spared in any way. He promised that anybody or group of people indicted would be dealt with decisively. The House has yesterday received support from the People’s Democratic Party over its investigation and promise to stand by the house in its attempt to stamp out corruption. Meanwhile, the house has called for the immediate persecution of Ahmadu Ali, the former PPPRA boss over subsidy scam and the PDP is quite at home with the entire development. In a related term, President Jonathan who spoke through his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi in a press briefing yesterday had assured Nigerians that everybody who was indicted in the oil sector would be dealt with, no matter the status. When asked if President Jonathan was worried over the development, Emodi responded thus: “No, no, no, no. Mr. President initiated the move to rid the petroleum industry of the rot because the bane of this society today, the bane of maladministration in the petroleum sector is nothing, but corruption. “The fact that he appointed a person like Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to head another panel looking into the rot is a clear manifestation that Mr. President is determined to rid the sector of corruption, he is not going to spare anybody, if not why would he go and appoint Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the ex-EFCC chairman and his very rival in the last presidential election? I am sure that he is not going to spare anybody found wanting and there are no moves to distort the report. I am the Special Adviser to Mr President on National Assembly Matters, any slightest moves here of course, I would be the channel. You know it. So I am sure that no move is being made and Mr. President has zero tolerance for corruption. “So, I can assure you that nobody is going to interfere with the report but you have to look at the people he selected to look into the rot in the system – men and women of proven integrity. As this one is happening here another investigative panel is also taking place in the executive arm. Mr President is on the same page with the members of the National Assembly to rid the society especially the oil sector of the rot”. She further affirmed that , “the investigation undertaken by the House of Representatives into the utilization of the petroleum subsidies is commendable. It is in line with the Federal government’s anti-graft war in the petroleum industry. “The Executive and the legislative arms of government are on the same page on the issue and would collaborate towards ensuring that any rot in the sector is fully addressed. “The issues that led to the investigation predated President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration. The President is poised to sanitize the oil sector and give it new breadth of life through enhanced probity, transparent governance and zero corruption. “So, it is a wrong claim in some quarters of uneasiness in the administration over the recommendations of the House ad-hoc committee on the utilization of petroleum subsidies. “In fact, such sharp practices in the oil sector were part of the reasons President Goodluck Jonathan moved against fuel subsidy in the first instance and directed the then Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga to engage an internationally recognized Audit Company to investigate the rot in the sector and KPMG was retained for the purpose. This was overtaken by the more comprehensive industry wide investigation now headed by the erstwhile Chairman of EFCC and Presidential candidate of the ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Is this not a clear manifestation of President Jonathan’s determination and genuineness to fight corruption and reduce it to zero level? “Mr President’s sincere desire of enthroning probity was clearly manifested by his choice of men of integrity to be involved and he did not mind crossing the partisan barrier to get his opponent in the Presidential election to lead the investigation. So, it is not surprising that the President should welcome what the House members have done and he is on the same page on the issues.”