PRESIDENCY INSISTS THAT PRESIDENT JONATHAN IS NOT SOFT ON CORRUPTION; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SUBSIDY REPORT BEING SCRUTINIZED BY EFCC

The Presidency on Sunday responded sharply to recent comments which it said were aimed at creating the totally false impression that the Jonathan Administration is not doing enough to curb corruption in Nigeria. 

A statement from the office of the special adviser to the President on media and Publicity, Reuben Abati stressed that there would be no sacred cows in the matter and that any organization or individual found guilty of fraud or corruption would ultimately face the full weight of sanctions prescribed by the extant laws of the country. 

Making specific reference to the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidies which he said was the basis for much of the politically-motivated allegations of tardiness in the war against corruption, Dr Abati disclosed that the document had already been referred by the President to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC through the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation. 

In compliance with the President’s clear directives, the EFCC he said, was currently undertaking a thorough and painstaking investigation of all indictments made by the committee with a view to establishing water-tight cases that would be taken before courts of competent jurisdiction as quickly as possible. 

Furthermore, Dr Abati revealed that government would take appropriate action on the report of the Committee headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede set up by the Federal Government to verify fuel subsidy payments which had been presented to President Jonathan

To achieve greater transparency and accountability in government, President Jonathan recently approved the re-composition of the executive management team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while the special adviser pointed out that President Jonathan had directed that the report of the technical committee which reviewed the Petroleum Industry Bill be speedily evaluated and appraised by relevant government ministries and presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval before being returned to the National Assembly for speedy promulgation.