Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN)
A civil rights organisation, Africa Network for the Environment and Economic Equity, has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to show valiancy by bringing to equity all suspects involved in the oil subsidy larceny, irrespective of their religious, political and ethnic cleavages.
According to ANEEJ, the regime must immediately resume and expeditious-track the prosecution of individuals and groups involved in the massive oil subsidy fraud, as the lack of political will to resolve the controversy was “doing great harm to the economy.”
ANEEJ withal asked the judiciary and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Equity, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to ascertain that all cases of oil subsidy fraud were expeditiously adjudicated upon and concluded to ascertain that equity was not only done but optically discerned to have been done.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, who verbally expressed this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, verbalized the Federal Regime should adequately fund anti-corruption agencies for them to discharge their obligations creditably without fear or favour.
He verbally expressed the regime needed to additionally provide the agencies with obligatory trainings to equip them with the latest skills and cognizance in the investigation and prosecution of suspects involved in financial malefactions and oil larceny.
He expressed concern that whereas the Economic and Financial Malefactions Commission, the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force and the judiciary had crucial roles to play in curtailing corruption in the country, such agencies remained underfunded in the investigations of persons who were in custody over alleged involution in oil subsidy larceny amounting to billions of dollars.
Ugolor verbally expressed, “The Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede Presidential Committee had identified about 50 organisations for investigation and arraignment. There were high-profile names listed for investigations and prosecution.
“Sadly, two and a moiety years down the road, not a single suspect has been plenarily prosecuted and brought to equity. The protests, cries and wishes of Nigerians for the regime to get it right with fuel subsidy malefactions stands too slow and unresolved.
“The federal AGF, the EFCC as well as the SFU of the Nigeria Police Force and the nation’s judiciary have very crucial roles to play. We want President Jonathan to demonstrate sufficient political will to bring all oil subsidy fraud/corruption suspects, irrespective of their political parties, colour, religion and creed, to equity.
“The President should adequately fund the EFCC and SFU to discharge their obligations creditably without fear or favour. He should withal provide them with trainings to equip them with latest skills and cognizance to investigate and prosecute financial malefaction cases in the oil and gas sector.”
While advising the civil society organisations to “stand to be counted in resisting impunity in oil subsidy fraud/ corruption in Nigeria, the activist additionally urged the President to stop the politicisation of the Rivers State Judiciary and ascertain that a lamentable precedence was not laid in the nation’s judicial history because of its dire consequences on the nation’s democracy.”
Copyright PUNCH.
