Subsidy Probe: President ’ll Not Spare Any Indicted Person

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Published on Thursday, 26 April 2012 13:17

Written by Elombah.com

Senator Joy Emodi

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, has said President Goodluck

Jonathan will not spare anybody indicted in the fuel subsidy investigation by the House of Representatives.

She told National Assembly correspondents yesterday that the president had vowed that anybody found culpable in the large scale theft of fuel subsidy would be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.

She dismissed the alleged uneasiness in the Presidency over the recommendations as completely unfounded.

Emodi, who insisted that Jonathan was determined to rid the petroleum industry of the present rot in which it is enmeshed, described as commendable, the investigation undertaken by the House. The investigation, she said, was in line with the Federal Government anti-graft war crusade in the petroleum industry.

Emodi also ruled out any form of interference from the Presidency in what the House was doing, saying Jonathan's determination to enthrone probity in all sectors of the country’s national life was unwavering.

She said: “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 presidential liaison officer was also quick to add that the issues that led to the investigation into oil subsidy predated the Jonathan administration.

Emodi said there was no doubt that Jonathan is poised to sanitise the oil sector and give it a new breath of life through enhanced probity, transparent governance and zero corruption.

According to her, “So it is a wrong claim in some quarters of uneasiness in the administration over the recommendations of the House ad hoc committee.

“In fact, such sharp practices in the oil sector were part of the reasons President Goodluck Jonathan moved against fuel subsidy in the first place.

“He directed the then Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, to engage an internationally recognised 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 erstwhile Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“Is this not a clear manifestation of President Jonathan’s determination and genuineness to fight corruption 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 issue.”

Asked about the alleged move by some influential persons to scuttle the report, Emodi said: “No, no, no, no. But for the fact that Mr. President ab initio 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.”

She added that the fact that Jonathan appointed a person like Ribadu to head another panel looking into the rot “is a clear manifestation that Mr. President is determined to rid the sector of corruption.”

Jonathan, she insisted, “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?”

She said: “I am sure that he is not going to spare anybody found wanting and there are no moves (to kill the report).

“I am the Special Adviser to Mr. President on National Assembly Matters, any slightest move 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 bet you nobody is going to interfere with anything 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, or any sector whatsoever.”

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