From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, alleged that there are plans by some government officials to fritter N1.7 trillion under the guise of acquiring 20% shares in the $19. 5 billion refinery being built by Dangote Group.
PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, , Kola Ologbondiyan, said while it has nothing against genuine incentives for private refineries or any moves to divest economic interest in the private sector, it must not be avenue to allegedly siphon public funds.
“Moreover, is it not an absurdity for a government, which cannot fix our refineries, to be planning to spend such huge amount of money in a venture that it would be a minority stakeholder, if not in the pursuit of sleazy deals by corrupt officials? This is more so as the payment arrangement involving crude barter has remained hazy, underhanded and lacking in the required transparency in evaluation, cost, and exchange terms.
“Our party, therefore, demands that the Federal Government immediately halt this nebulous process. The transaction must be made completely open, in terms of conditions for crude barter, signatories, duration, equity sharing and signatories, among other conditions. The PDP also urges the Dangote Group and other concerned investing firms to be wary of going into any kind of deals with corrupt officials of the APC administration. Our party charges the National Assembly to protect the nation by summoning the management of the NNPC and immediately commence a holistic investigation into this deal.
“The PDP insists that any process involving the divesting of our nation economic interest by the government must be made open, transparent and not allowed to become a conduit pipe for treasury-looting officials in the APC administration,” the PDP stated.”