Fuel subsidy: Save Nigeria Group/Pastor Tunde Bakare to plan another Occupy Nigeria mass protest if government fails to act swiftly in prosecuting the culprits

The Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare has revealed that the group is getting set to mobilise Nigerians for another round of Occupy Nigeria protests following the shocking report on how the N1.7trn fuel subsidy was embezzled by marketers and government agencies. According to SNG, “another “Occupy Nigeria”, was imminent if government failed to act swiftly in prosecuting the culprits.”

According to the Save Nigeria Group’s spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odumakin:
This is a searing report. It’s an open book on the rape of a nation by mindless people. We expect that the Federal Government will want to treat the report as a family affair, but we (SNG) will ensure that this is the final nail on the coffin of corruption in Nigeria.
If you recall, the slogan of Save Nigeria Group was ‘Kill Corruption Not Nigerians.’ And this is what this report is saying, if you don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigerians. In the report, in 2009, the Accountant-General released N999m 128 times in 24 hours. And as that time, only 36 marketers were participants under the Petroleum Support Fund. How come they suddenly became 128? Does it mean that 128 fuel marketers collected the same amount of subsidy and they imported the same quantity of oil? It’s all fraud.
I want the executive to be sanctioned for its budget rascality. The budget presented and approved by the legislature in 2011 on subsidy payment was N245bn and they ended up spending N2.6tn. The president must be made to answer for extra budgetary spending. The government should be ready to charge as many Nigerians as possible for treason, because during the fuel subsidy protest at the Gani Fawehinmi Park (rebranded Freedom Park), the Federal Government had said that we were trying to topple the government. If the report is not implemented fully within the time frame given, Save Nigeria Group will still mobilise Nigerians to come out, and speak up against corruption. Meanwhile, in a recent press release made available to CP-Africa by the Nigerian Finance Ministry, it has been reported that the services of the audit and accounting firms responsible for certifying the documents and claims of marketers before payment, Akintola Williams and Co and Adekanola and Co. have been terminated.

The release goes thus:

Concerned about the management of the subsidy regime, the Federal Ministry of Finance has for the last two months been reviewing aspects of the implementation of the subsidy regime related to its functions. The review has produced a lot of useful details on what was wrong with the system and what needs to be done to ensure improvement going forward. The review process kicked off in February when the ministry and relevant government agencies held a meeting with bankers and marketers at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan. This was followed by a subsequent session with the accounting and auditing firms to re-evaluate their work.

Based on the review, the Ministry has taken the following steps:

The services of the audit and accounting firms responsible for certifying the documents and claims of marketers before payment have been terminated. The companies are Akintola Williams and Co and Adekanola and Co.
The Ministry has established a committee made up of credible and experienced persons from the private and public sector with strong technical component under the chairmanship of Mr. Aigboje Imoukuede to examine the claims of payment arrears for 2011 currently being made by marketers. This is to ensure that only genuine claims are honoured. The ministry is also finalising a new and more effective system to replace the current arrangement and, in this regard, a second committee has been set up to propose a good way to forward.
Based on other outcomes of the review, the ministry will take further actions as necessary.