It was yesterday announced that the incumbent authorities had invited the forensic audit firms to investigate the expenditure of oil money accrued on the Federation Account within the past five years.
Unsurprisingly, the news generated a lot of reactions, all different. While some express optimism that the corrupt officials would be finally exposed and punished, the others fear that the move is a simple witch-hunting.
See some of the comments below:
Ernest Ezechukwu: “Buhari we ll soon start our own probe on you cos u promised to pay d jobless people 5thousand naira and school children a plate of food per day.”
Adeyemo Taye: “I believe this is the first time in the history of this country, where Nigeria elected a leader who is ready to work, Buhari has started well with all the appointment and he has shown seriousness in making Nigeria great. But if anyone is found guilty of stealing money under Jonathan government, the person should be prosecuted, recover the money and still send him to jail, because Nigeria can’t continue like this.”
Wilberforce Captain: “Buhari u should also ready to probe those dat are sponsored ur election by funding ur campaign accross d 36 states and include d jet u used . Dont u knw dat those funds are corrupt funds. Pls ready for ur own probe.”
Rocky Sunday: “All of u haters of buhari should go and huge transformer. goodlucks govt is the most corrupt in d history of the world. The loot is so massive that even women were looting heavily and u guys supported his corrupt govt. Now God has given us a decent president and u are hating him cos he is fifhting corruption. U cant stop buhari.”
Charles Okoroafor: “I have absolutely nothing against probe, as long as it is not witch-hunting in disguise. Let PMB be courageous enough to probe OBJ’s Government too. I left out Yar’Adua’s Government because you cannot possibly probe a dead man!”
Meanwhile Chat212 is recalling the most widely publicised forensic audit carried out in Nigeria under Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and its outcome.
The timeline of events started when at that time acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wrote a letter to Goodluck Jonathan about the missing billions of dollars on missing oil money on the account.
The president was subjected to harsh criticism, following which the authorities officially ordered the investigation into the allegations of unremitted funds into the Federation Accounts by the NNPC. About a year later the PricewaterhouseCoopers responsible for the audit provided the highly anticipated report to the government.
Buhari insisted that GEJ’s government should release the full script of the document, which was finally made. Based on the content, the NNPC should have refunded to the government a minimum of $1.48billion (the initial claim was about the missing $20billion).
The “oil money” dust settled, the elections wind rose – and the information about whether the amount was remitted to the account became somehow irrelevant.
However, Buhari, who had vowed to fight corruption in Nigeria and return the embezzled funds, did not forget the case. After his victory at the presidential election, Buhari promised that his administration would take a second look at Sanusi’s allegations.
Back to the present days: August 6 – the NNPC falls under the new investigation, with the circle having been closed.
