Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana [SAN] has taken a swipe on President Muhammadu Buhari in his capacity as the Minister of Petroleum Resources over the massive corruption in the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC].
Mr. Falana made the remarks during the presentation of a 112 pages report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on corruption.
During the presentation, it was revealed how “55 politicians, high-level public officials and leaders allegedly stole N1, 354 trillion between 2006 and 2013 from the nation’s treasury.”
According to the report, “the amount of money embezzled, misappropriated or stolen by public officials and leaders in the private between 2013 and 2017 has galloped beyond the contemplation of average Nigerians.”
The report was launched yesterday at the CITI-HEIGHT Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, titled: “Letting the Big Fish Swim” How Those Accused of High-Level Corruption are Getting away with their Crimes and Profiting from Nigeria’s Legacy of Impunity.
While commending SERAP for producing the incisive report, Falana said that “the areas covered are a tip of the iceberg”.
He noted that “not a single reference was made to the most corrupt institutions in the country”, especially “the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which is currently headed by President Muhammadu Buhari”.
Lamenting further, he said that the NNPC is “a government’s agency, the National extractive industries transparency initiative has accused… of illegally withholding $16.8 billion from the federation account.”
Speaking further, he said:
Related Posts
“Since the NNPC cannot justify the fraudulent importation of fuel it says that it is not a public institution when asked to produce the certified true copies of importation documents.
“But I assure you the documents will be produced either now or in future.
“A government that says it is fighting corruption cannot be allowed to engage in reckless opacity.”
He, however, reprimanded SERAP and other for attacking judges and lawyers. He said:
“Nigerians should stop rubbishing all judges and lawyers. No doubt there are a few corrupt judges and lawyers. Just a few.”
He assured the listening public that “with the abolition of stay of proceedings, politically exposed persons and their lawyers are no longer permitted to frustrate their prosecution.”
