Clear Air on $25bn NNPC Contract, ADP Tells Buhari

• Clear Air on $25bn NNPC Contract, ADP Tells Buhari

One of the newly registered political parties in the country, Action Democratic Party (ADP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to clear his name over the controversies surrounding $25 billion contract award scandal at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The party also urged him to immediately release the investigative report of the Vice President Yemi Osibanjo on the alleged corruption scandal against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) . Babachir David Lawal.

ADP said it took the position based on the fact that President Buhari at the moment occupied the substantive Minister of Petroleum position.

Addressing journalists during the National Executive (NEC) meeting of the party held in Abuja, the National Chairman, Yabagi Sani said the Federal government should also thread with caution over its quest to get more foreign loan.

Speaking on the controversy trailing the lingering corruption case against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sani said: “President Buhari should immediately release the report of the Osinbajo led investigation panel on the N40 billion cash fund in Lagos and the indictment of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal.”

On the accusation leveled against Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, the ADP chairman said that his party felt that there was need for the president to personally clarify issues about the contract so as to remove any doubt in the minds of Nigerians over his commitment to an unbiased fight against corruption.

“The $25 billion contract award scandal and other unsolved cases of corruption involving the functionaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government bring to question the commitment of President Buhari to the fight against corruption,” he said.

Sani said that it is unfortunate that this government is paying lip service to fight against corruption inspite of its vow to deal with it head-on.

He said that NEC meeting reechoed support for the party’s manifesto which clearly indicate its intention to execute economic development plans that would encompass restructuring, fiscal federalism, devolution of power and to fast track effort towards poverty alleviation.