Lagos / Abuja – Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government of covertly stealing billions of dollars from Nigerians through payment of illegal subsidy on fuel to its cronies.
The Federal Government two days ago revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been paying subsidy on fuel imported into the country.
Incidentally, there has not been any budgetary allocation or provisions in the national budget for such payment since the APC government came on board on May 29, 2015.
President Muhammadu Buhari had declared payment of subsidy by the past administration a fraud and a means of enriching some personalities loyal to the PDP then.
The law forbids any expenditure by the government or any of its parastatals from spending any money generated on behalf of the nation without authorisation by the National Assembly.
However, the half denials by the APC government that the money being used for the payment was not coming from the pockets of the government but being borne by the NNPC was described by the PDP as a lie taken too far.
According to the PDP, it is preposterous for the APC to take Nigerians for a ride as the fuel scarcity bites harder even as the government has failed to fulfil majority of its electoral promises to Nigerians.
The position of the PDP was contained in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The PDP charged the APC-led Federal Government to tell Nigerians the truth regarding its handling of fuel related funds, particularly the circumstances surrounding the exposed diversion of fuel funds in sleazy oil subsidy payouts, rather than dissipating its tenuous energy on name calling.
The party also tasked the APC government to speak out on reports of fraud in the oil regime whereupon 18 unregistered companies were used to lift and divert $1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in the last one year.
Ologbondiyan in the statement said further that “it is completely reprehensible that the APC and the Federal Government have continued to stick to lies, particularly on the real reasons behind the biting fuel scarcity as well as their exposed attempt to pilfer $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).”
“This APC government is not only grossly incompetent and corrupt, but also a champion in the use of lies and manipulations against innocent and unsuspecting citizens.
“We all know that it was convenient for the APC presidency to promise Nigerians that it will no longer import fuel only because the PDP government had already laid the foundation including revamping the refineries and ensuring a domestic production of five million litres out of the 25 million litres daily domestic consumption.
“Sadly this incompetent APC government, in its almost three years, has not added one litre to the five million litres which the PDP administration was producing.
“Instead of improvements, the APC has wrecked the system and now pushing the nation to depend solely on importation, while engaging in heavy sleazes in hidden subsidy regimes.
“Is it not also ridiculous for the Federal Government, in its bid to cover for its ineptitude and oil subsidy corruption, to announce that it is the NNPC and not Nigeria that is paying for the so called fuel subsidy?
“The question is: who owns the NNPC? Is it not Nigeria? Can NNPC spend a kobo without the authorisation of the presidency? Has President Muhammadu Buhari ceased to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Minister of Petroleum Resources?
“Moreover, if the NNPC, which is under his purview, has been paying fuel subsidy, who authorised the payment and who are the beneficiaries? Nigerians need to know the truth on this subsidy regime.
“We, therefore, challenge the APC-Federal Government to come clean on these issues and stop telling lies to Nigerians who have suffered enough under its deceptive, inept, uncoordinated and wicked regime”, the PDP said.
The PDP, however, urged “Nigerians not to be forlorn”, adding that “it has repositioned to stand with the people in the inevitable mission to rescue and restore the nation to the path of prosperity once more come 2019”.
PDP Denies Conceding VP Slot To South-West
Meanwhile, the PDP has also denied that it has reached any agreement with leaders of the party from the South West that the zone will produce the vice presidential candidate of the party for the 2019 elections.
Following the outcome of the recently concluded national convention of the party which produced Prince Uche Secondus as its national chairman, leaders of the South-West chapter of the party had cried foul, alleging that the exercise was a conspiracy against the region and had threatened to review its position with the party going forward.
According to South-West leaders, the micro-zoning arrangement of the party which zoned the chairmanship slot to the South-West was not honoured by some major stakeholders in the party.
Olabode George, one of the aspirants who withdrew on the eve of the election, had demanded an apology from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers for allegedly insulting the Yoruba race.
“I entered the contest on the micro-zoning principle, which has been thrashed by little men who have compromised. It appears the PDP is bent on self-destruction. I can’t be part of this. The chairmanship position has been sold to the highest bidder.
“I entered the race due to the micro-zoning arrangement. This micro-zoning has been trashed, dumped on the dust bin for personal reason. It appears that PDP is bent on self-destruction. It has lost its soul.
“I cannot be part of this criminal allegation. The PDP is now mangled. I hereby withdraw from the fraud. As a Yoruba patriot, I will stand for our people.
“Governor Wike must tender an unreserved apology to the Yoruba people for his unguarded utterances against the Yoruba race. I listened to my younger brother and I see it as an insult. I consider it as an insult.”
Also speaking with INDEPENDENT, Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, said the South-West PDP will fight back with everything at its possession.
“We are going to let them know that it is difficult to insult and ridicule the South-West. When the South-West fights back, we will do so with everything in our possession. We will not only defend the integrity of our name but we will make sure the legacies of our founding fathers is not tampered with by any of these emergency young millionaire”.
Following the meeting of Henry Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa State governor, who is chairman of the party’s Post-Convention Reconciliation Committee with the aggrieved aspirants and other leaders of the South-West, it was alleged that the party leadership has promised that the South-West will be compensated with the vice presidential slot.
However, speaking with INDEPENDENT on Wednesday, Ologbondiyan said he is not aware of any pact with the South-West leaders that the zone will produce the running mate to the presidential candidate which has already been zoned to the North.
“Honestly, I am not aware of any pact with the South-West zone that they will produce the vice presidential candidate. But, since it is a party thing, we cannot predict what may happen. But as the spokesperson of the party, I am not aware”, he said.
Ologbondiyan also denied that the party has any rift with Atiku Abubakar.
“We have no issue with any member of our party. The party is open to all and it will ensure a level playing field to any of its members who has aspiration to seek elective office for any position.”
Atiku, who recently defected from the ruling APC to the PDP had denied media report of a purported rift between him, the party’s national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus as well as governors elected on the platform of the party, among others.
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