The last may not have been heard of the
$20 billion “missing” oil money.
“The new administration will take a look at
it,” President-elect Muhammadu Buhari
said yesterday.
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is
now the Emir of Kano, alleged that the
Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) failed to remit $20 billion to the
federation account, but a committee, which
investigated the issue, claimed that about
$10 billion was unremitted. Accounting
giant PricewaterhouseCoopers was brought
in. It said only $1 billion was unaccounted
for. Details of its report are yet to be made
public.
But Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-
Madueke has said the money, which was
transferred by NNPC to the Nigeria
Petroleum Development Corporation
(NPDC), was being sent to the treasury.
This is not likely to be the end of the
controversial matter, going by Buhari’s
view.
Speaking while receiving a delegation from
Adamawa State led by the governor-elect,
Senator Jibrila Bindow, at the Presidential
Campaign Office in Abuja, Buhari also said
that it was unfortunate that the PDP
government had practically destroyed the
armed forces.
He reiterated his earlier pledge to fight
corruption and restore the confidence of
Nigerians in the economy while taking
practical steps to create employment for
the youths.
Buhari, who is scheduled to take office on
May 29, said: “I heard that some people
have started returning money; I will not
believe it until I go and see for myself. You
all know what the Emir of Kano talked
about when he was the governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria when he said
$20billion, not naira, $20 billion was
unaccounted for; they said it was a lie.
Instead of investigating it, they sacked
him.
“And God in His infinite mercy made him
the Emir of Kano. In any case, that is what
he wanted and since this was
documented, the new administration will
take a look at it.”
Gen. Buhari, who decried the level of
destruction inflicted on the nation by the
Boko Haram insurgency, said: “I thank God
for your visit. From what he (leader of
delegation) has said on this problem of
Boko Haram, we thank God it is now
evident that this is not a religious problem,
but purely terrorism. I said it earlier, all the
religions we practice, both Islam and
Christianity, do not support terrorism.
“So, to go and kill people either in the
mosque or in a church, market, motor park
or to go and slaughter children in school,
anyone who commits such a crime either
does not know what Allahu Akbar (God is
great) means or does not believe in it. This
is terrorism. It is our hope that God gives
us the power to end this.”
Buhari spoke also on jobs, describing
unemployment as Nigeria’s biggest
problem. He said: “I went to 35 out of the
36 states of the federation. I went to some
states about six times. I went for town hall
meetings in Kano, Lagos and here in Abuja.
I met with religious leaders in churches of
all denominations.
“From the airports to the streets, we saw
youths running after our vehicles,
sweating; some walking the whole
distance to wherever we were driving to.
Whether they went to school or did not go
to school, they don’t have jobs.
“This is the biggest problem we have in
Nigeria today. Apart from security
challenges, the next thing is to find jobs
for our youths. Our youths form 60 percent
of our population in Nigeria and without
jobs, these people who are still bubbling
with energy will constitute a danger for this
nation. If our youths don’t get jobs, we will
not enjoy our stay in this nation.
“But one of the things we can do for you to
fight poverty in Adamawa is the abundance
of arable land that you have. Where I come
from (Katsina State), the Sahara (desert)
has eaten into the land and our populace
who were not opportune to get formal
education became private guards because
there is no more land to farm.
“But for you in Adamawa, you are blessed
with land and water for agriculture. The 16
years of the PDP has further impoverished
the people. It was the PDP, not the APP,
not the CPC, not the APC because of that,
within the next four years, we will do our
best.
”The three things we in the APC will give
priority to are the issues of security, the
economy and the war against corruption.
These are three things that affect all the
states in Nigeria.
“We hope that like I have been hearing
over the radio that we have regained most
of the territories captured by Boko Haram;
we thank God. But, among the worst
atrocities committed against Nigeria by the
PDP is what it has done to our military.
“It is our military that went to Barma; the
same army that when I was commissioned
second lieutenant, I did not spend three
weeks before I found myself in Kinshasa
(in Congo), then (the civil war) in Nigeria,
Sierra Leone.
“Then to say Nigerian soldiers failed to
retake 14 local government areas out of
774, for me who served in the military, I
find it incomprehensible, except if I go
there to find out what is the reason for
this. The kind of leadership brought upon
us by the PDP, whether it is documented
or not, it can never be forgotten in our
history.
“Because of the (Boko Haram crisis) some
of our fellow Nigerians from the Northeast
don’t know where their parents are; some
don’t know where their children are; their
houses have been burnt, their cities, like
Bama, Michika, Mubi, Madagali and the
rest of them.
“Some have built houses outside and
when trouble starts they don’t even bother
to carry their bags; they take a ride on
Achaba (commercial motorcycle) and they
flee Nigeria and leave us with the crisis.
God help us.
“I hope those of you who have been
elected as members of the legislature: the
Senate and the House of Representatives
at the Federal and state levels, you will
work with us.
“I urge you to be patient and ensure that
anything that will benefit our nation
receives your support. We will try our
possible best and ensure that we repair
hospitals, schools, roads and ensure that
we get drugs in our hospitals, books and
other equipment.”
Bindow urged Buhari to help build
institutions, such as health and education.
Besides, said Bindow, Buhari should fight
corruption.
