NNPC probe ’ll open
can of worms –Ikimi
By TONY OSAUZO, Benin
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
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Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
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Former Foreign Affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, has said
the probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
in the last eight years will reveal how the ‘mother
of corruption’ was committed in the history of the country
by a regime that vowed to rid it of corruption.
According to the Action Congress chieftain: “In a few
days time, the probe of the NNPC will start. When the probe
of the NNPC starts, it is like opening a can of worms. When
you open it, the stench that will come from it will engulf
the entire nation.
“This is a time when Nigeria has earned the kind of
resources it has never earned before. When I was in government
up to 1998, the highest that the government was able to get
for a barrel of crude oil was 12 dollar
“As soon as Obasanjo took over, it jumped to 25, 35,
50 dollars and even beyond 60 dollars throughout his tenure.
We had oil windfall with a surplus of over 30 dollars throughout
the period. And it has become clear that this has not been
accounted for.
“Now we know, at least the country know that he (Obasanjo),
who has always talk of corruption, who has always talk of
probity, who has always pointed fingers at other people, who
hounded his deputy, Atiku throughout this period that he,
therefore, becomes the biggest culprit.”
Chief Ikimi, who spoke to journalists yesterday in Benin in
an interview, accused former president Olusegun Obasanjo of
seeking a retrospective approval of the activities of NNPC
in six years from the federal executive council.
How can he ask for an retrospective approval of things he
has done six years ago, when the council six years ago is
no longer constituted? Because the first council he administered
is no longer there.
“These people were not the member of the council. And
can somebody read memorandum of six years or so and give a
retrospective approval and I heard it has already been approved.
I think it is up to you people, members of the press to actually
highlight this and to keep everybody informed.”
He called on those who would be saddled with the role to be
very well prepared and ask the right questions on the NNPC.
Besides, he urged them to be above board as the issues concerned
were already in the public domain.
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