Civil Society organizations reaction to the Report of
the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee
which investigated the controversial subsidy on
petroleum products in the country, have called on
President Goodluck Jonathan to take action to
sanitize the situation in the country.
At a press conference in Abuja today, the
United Action for Democracy (UAD) said that
the revelations that emanated from the probe
by the Representatives confirmed its position
of and that of the mass of Nigerians that it
was the corrupt enrichment of a minority and
not the affordability of fuel for the vast
majority of Nigerians that was subsidize
The UAD therefore called for the prosecution
of all the individuals and corporate bodies
found to have been the beneficiaries of the
supposed ‘subsidy’. “Further, we call we call
for the immediate resignation or sacking of
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Minister of Finance,
Diezani Allison-Madueke, Minister of
Petroleum, and Labaran Maku, the Minister of
Information for their demonstrated culpability
by acts of omission or commission in the fuel
subsidy, the anti people hike in the price of
petrol and the conscious promotion of lies to
cover up the truth,” the group said.
And in a press statement in Benin City, the
Executive Director of Africa Network for
Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev.
David Ugolor, said the report of the committee
further confirmed the rot and mindless corruption
represented by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“ It exposes the fact that the Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison
Madueke has been presiding over sleaze and
she has no option now but to take the path of
honour," he declared.
He said it ought to be clear to President
Jonathan by now that he was misled on the
issue of fuel subsidy removal on January 1,
but that the people of Nigeria have now
triumphed over the negative forces in
government and Mr. Jonathan should
demonstrate his commitment to fighting
corruption in the sector. “He should get his
anti-graft agencies to prosecute all those
linked with this monumental fraud that led to
the crisis of confidence between Nigerians
and his administration,” he said. “He should
be courageous enough to fire the Petroleum
Minister so that Nigerians could be convinced
that there are no sacred cows in his cabinet."
In the same vein, the UAD said at the press
conference that it has closely been observing
the evolving situation in the country with
respect to growing impunity on the part of
those in government, growing poverty in the
midst of plenty, and growing insecurity across
the country.
It noted that at its recent extraordinary and
expanded session of its National Coordinating
Council held in Lagos in March, the UAD reflected on
the January uprising and the state of the nation,
towards consolidating on the gains won by the
popular masses.
“The January uprising was a popular upheaval of the
poor and suffering Nigerian against the dire and
worsening state of poverty, corruption and impunity
in high places and disillusionment with the ruling
elite in Nigeria which was ignited by the hike in fuel
price,” the body said. Despite the premature
suspension of the general strike at its peak by the
labour movement, which UAD considered to be
unfortunate, it said the outcome was a partial
victory and Nigerian people victorious because they
dared to struggle.
UAD said that with the realization that the
Nigerian State remained committed to further
hiking the price of petrol, it will henceforth
commence intensive mobilization in
preparation for mass mobilization in
preparation for mass revolutionary action
against this and other anti people policy and
for system change.
Among others, UAD called for the immediate
release, full publication and implementation
of the reports of the power sector, fuel
subsidy, petroleum sector and pension
probes; prosecution and punishment of those
implicated and indicted; exemplary
punishment to guilty companies; and
immediate steps taken to determine actual
daily consumption rate for petrol; actual daily
production capacity for petrol by domestic
refineries; and actual daily production
capacity of domestic refineries.
Also speaking in Benin City today, ANEEJ's
Policy Officer, Mr. Innocent Edemhanria said
it was gratifying that one of the
recommendations in the House committee
report is the immediate unbundling of Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
which the Petroleum Industry Bill seeks to
achieve.
“The passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill
into law will complement the effectiveness of
the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency
Initiative(NEITI) Secretariat which recent 2006
– 2008 audit reports confirmed the urgent
need to reform the oil and gas sector in
Nigeria so as to create the enabling
environment for all stake
the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee
which investigated the controversial subsidy on
petroleum products in the country, have called on
President Goodluck Jonathan to take action to
sanitize the situation in the country.
At a press conference in Abuja today, the
United Action for Democracy (UAD) said that
the revelations that emanated from the probe
by the Representatives confirmed its position
of and that of the mass of Nigerians that it
was the corrupt enrichment of a minority and
not the affordability of fuel for the vast
majority of Nigerians that was subsidize
The UAD therefore called for the prosecution
of all the individuals and corporate bodies
found to have been the beneficiaries of the
supposed ‘subsidy’. “Further, we call we call
for the immediate resignation or sacking of
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Minister of Finance,
Diezani Allison-Madueke, Minister of
Petroleum, and Labaran Maku, the Minister of
Information for their demonstrated culpability
by acts of omission or commission in the fuel
subsidy, the anti people hike in the price of
petrol and the conscious promotion of lies to
cover up the truth,” the group said.
And in a press statement in Benin City, the
Executive Director of Africa Network for
Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev.
David Ugolor, said the report of the committee
further confirmed the rot and mindless corruption
represented by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“ It exposes the fact that the Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison
Madueke has been presiding over sleaze and
she has no option now but to take the path of
honour," he declared.
He said it ought to be clear to President
Jonathan by now that he was misled on the
issue of fuel subsidy removal on January 1,
but that the people of Nigeria have now
triumphed over the negative forces in
government and Mr. Jonathan should
demonstrate his commitment to fighting
corruption in the sector. “He should get his
anti-graft agencies to prosecute all those
linked with this monumental fraud that led to
the crisis of confidence between Nigerians
and his administration,” he said. “He should
be courageous enough to fire the Petroleum
Minister so that Nigerians could be convinced
that there are no sacred cows in his cabinet."
In the same vein, the UAD said at the press
conference that it has closely been observing
the evolving situation in the country with
respect to growing impunity on the part of
those in government, growing poverty in the
midst of plenty, and growing insecurity across
the country.
It noted that at its recent extraordinary and
expanded session of its National Coordinating
Council held in Lagos in March, the UAD reflected on
the January uprising and the state of the nation,
towards consolidating on the gains won by the
popular masses.
“The January uprising was a popular upheaval of the
poor and suffering Nigerian against the dire and
worsening state of poverty, corruption and impunity
in high places and disillusionment with the ruling
elite in Nigeria which was ignited by the hike in fuel
price,” the body said. Despite the premature
suspension of the general strike at its peak by the
labour movement, which UAD considered to be
unfortunate, it said the outcome was a partial
victory and Nigerian people victorious because they
dared to struggle.
UAD said that with the realization that the
Nigerian State remained committed to further
hiking the price of petrol, it will henceforth
commence intensive mobilization in
preparation for mass mobilization in
preparation for mass revolutionary action
against this and other anti people policy and
for system change.
Among others, UAD called for the immediate
release, full publication and implementation
of the reports of the power sector, fuel
subsidy, petroleum sector and pension
probes; prosecution and punishment of those
implicated and indicted; exemplary
punishment to guilty companies; and
immediate steps taken to determine actual
daily consumption rate for petrol; actual daily
production capacity for petrol by domestic
refineries; and actual daily production
capacity of domestic refineries.
Also speaking in Benin City today, ANEEJ's
Policy Officer, Mr. Innocent Edemhanria said
it was gratifying that one of the
recommendations in the House committee
report is the immediate unbundling of Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
which the Petroleum Industry Bill seeks to
achieve.
“The passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill
into law will complement the effectiveness of
the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency
Initiative(NEITI) Secretariat which recent 2006
– 2008 audit reports confirmed the urgent
need to reform the oil and gas sector in
Nigeria so as to create the enabling
environment for all stake