Subsidy fraud: Reps okay Ex-PDP Chairman, Ali for prosecution

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This is not the best of time for the former chairman of the ruling People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, Sen. Ahmadu Ali as Nigeria’s House of
Representatives yesterday recommended him for prosecution over the oil
subsidy mess.

During the clause by clause consideration of the report of the house Ad hoc
committee on subsidy probe, members believe Ahmadu Ali encouraged
most of the frauds in the subsidy funds when he was the chairman of the
board of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), from 2009
to 2011.

Though the Ad-hoc committee had originally recommended that the ex-PDP
boss be merely reprimanded, Members however frown at the committee’s
recommendation hence adopted a stiffer punishment for the politician.

The Lawmakers said the former board chairman and other members of the
board opened the floodgate of frauds in the oil sector during their tenure in
office and thus should be prosecuted.

Also, the house agreed to re-invite the 17 Indicted oil marketers which
hitherto failed to appear before the committee during the public hearing.

Addressing newsmen after the decision of the house, the spokesperson for
the house, Hon. Zakari Mohammed explained that the decision to re-invite
the oil marketers was done in order to give them a fair hearing.

Recall that the oil marketers have threatened to slam the house with lawsuits
for indicting them without giving them opportunity to defend themselves during
the committee’s hearing.

The 17 indicted companies have two weeks to appear before the Ad hoc
committee to explain their involvement in the controversial N41.9 billion
subsidy funds.

In his opening remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives said no
amount of pressure would deter them from pushing ahead on the report.

“For those who regard the oil sector as a secret society or sacred cow, I wish
to state without equivocation that it is not.” Tambuwal stated.

Meawhile, a group, Change Nigeria Initiative staged a protest in support of the
petroleum minister, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke yesterday at the National
Assembly.

The group led by Mr. Ebi Alagba said “We are not against the probe report of
the Fuel Subsidy because for the first time the Federal Government
encouraged reforms in the petroleum sector but if the report is designed to
rubbish the Minister we will not be part of it.”

Alagba argued that from all the indicted companies “nobody mentioned her
name or any link with the corruption that took place in the sector”

Subsidy fraud: Reps okay Ex-PDP Chairman,
Ahmadu Ali for prosecution

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