Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)

•  To give Sagay committee particulars of oil companies owing $7bn

Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) on Sunday said that it will give the new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, all institutional supports needed to recover a certain $11.6 billion revenue from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) which NNPC allegedly failed to remit to the Federation Account.

Similarly, it indicated that it will present to the newly constituted presidential advisory committee against corruption particulars of oil and gas companies that are operating in Nigeria but still owing an outstanding $7 billion crude oil revenue to the country over the years as underpayments and under-assessments.

NEITI, which disclosed its delight with the ongoing restructuring at NNPC, said in a statement from its secretariat in Abuja that the constitution of the Prof. Itsay Sagay-led committee last week by President Muhammadu Buhari presents to it another opportunity to pursue the recovery of the fund, using such high level governmental framework.

The statement was signed by NEITI’s Director of Communication, Orji Ogbonnanya Orji, and it described the Sagay committee as a good platform for all the 21 anti-corruption agencies in the country which are coordinated by the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption (TUGAR) under the chairmanship of NEITI to share information and offer informed advice based on experiences garnered over the years in the fight against corrupt practices in Nigeria.

It said in this regards that: “One important issue that NEITI will be bringing to the table if given opportunity is how the committee can assist the government to recover over $7 billion owed by oil companies.

“These disclosures are contained in NEITI audit reports as cases of under payments, under assessments arising from subjective interpretation of MoUs and tax laws. We have no doubt that our contributions will add value to the work of the committee.”

http://www.thisdaylive.com/

NEMA: More Fake IDPs Troop to Camps, as NHRC Expresses Concern

Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja 

Amidst several appeals by humanitarian and civil society organisations to the Nigerian government to intervene in the huge challenges facing the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Sunday that the major challenge facing the agency in its work -- with respect to the displaced persons, is “knowing who is an IDP and who is not.’’

On its part, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the security situation in the country had resulted in the displacement of millions of Nigerians, who now take refuge in inhabitable environments with serious threat to their mental and physical existence.

The two federal government’s agencies noted these points after a meeting at the weekend in Abuja to deliberate on the challenges facing the IDPs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other parts of the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary to the NHRC, Mr. Lambert Oparah, stated yesterday that the meeting was sequel to a letter of urgent national importance by his boss, Professor Bem Angwe, requesting NEMA to intervene in a matter affecting IDPs in the country, especially in Abuja.

According to Oparah, “NEMA Director-General, Muhammadu Sanni, who led the officials from NEMA, disclosed that a major challenge facing the agency in its work with respect to displaced persons is knowing who is an IDP and who is not.

“According to him, many people now troop to camps or find settlements in unoccupied areas in the name of IDPs with intent to get relief materials or attract sympathisers. However, he stressed that NEMA has set up camps in all the conflict areas, which he said have been receiving adequate attention from agency officials.’’

The NEMA’s boss was also quoted as saying that the humanitarian outlook of Nigeria is made more complex by frequent communal clashes, especially between pastoralists and farmers, which has displaced so many Nigerians from their comfort homes.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of NHRC has said that security must be balanced with human rights, calling for an urgent need for a stakeholders’ forum to address the IDPs issues in the country.

He said it was in an attempt to address some of the issues arising from IDPs camps that his agency in collaboration with the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) deployed 310 monitors in the north-east and north-central parts of the country to observe the human rights situation in those camps.

However, THISDAY gathered last night that a stakeholders’ meeting would be convened on Wednesday in Abuja, to address some of the identified issues.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/

Lagos Ex-govenor, Babatunde Fashola: When you wrestle with a pig...you get dirty."

Government websites require much more than putting up a web page. If we want to fight corruption, we should at least based our case on solid evidence and best practices not on guesses, emotional responses, and the lack of due diligence that is all over the Internet. You nail looters with clear facts not with the popular but often shallow "evidence" that is all over cyberspace.

The immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has finally responded to the allegation that he approved a contract worth N78 million for the upgrade of his personal website.

Last weekend, analytic firm, BudgIT, revealed that Mr. Fashola approved, before he left office, a contract of N78.3 million from the state treasury for an upgrade of his personal website.

The news caused outrage among Nigerians who accused the former governor of financial recklessness and the misappropriation of public fund.

In a statement he personally signed on Thursday, Mr. Fashola admitted that indeed a contract valued at that amount was awarded, but it involves the provision of other services beyond the upgrade of the website.

Mr. Fashola’s statement comes on the heels of the denial by the contractor, Info Access Plus, that it received N78 million. The company said though it quoted N12.5 million for the upgrade of the website, www.fashola.com, it only received N10 million from the state government.

On Thursday, the former governor said only N12 million was actually awarded for the upgrade of the site while other services such as the handover countdown clock, mobile apps for Google, for iOS ipad, for Microsoft, and Blackberry and the annual maintenance cost for managing the site make up the total of N78 million.

He said due process was followed before the contract was awarded and that the procurement agency, PPA, did not raise any objection as at the time the contract was awarded.

“It was for these services that the contract was issued for N78 million, which the Lagos State procurement agency gave a No Objection based on the advice of the Ministry of Science and Technology, who are the government adviser on ICT matters.

“In publishing the contract award which was the government tradition under my watch, the procurement agency ‘s website summarized it as ‘upgrade’ only without detailing the other services and this has been distorted by the agents of hate as their suspected ‘smoking gun’”, he said.

On the accusation that the website was personal to him and that it was inappropriate to use a public fund for its maintenance, he said he site helped him to do his job as governor and to respond to the people.

“To date, there have been 27.666 million hits on this website, with 1,844 videos, 34,381 photographs, 2,531 Press releases and 595 speeches among other items of public communication.”

He then claimed that people have been paid “large amount of money” to deliberately distort allegations without evidence against him.

He said the website upgrade issue is the culmination of a string of other unfounded allegations against him that started emanating toward the end of his tenure in office.

Mr Fashola said he was first accused of fathering children from an extra-marital affair, accused of orchestrating a conspiracy in the National Assembly election and plunging the state into a deep debt crisis. He said the allegations are not only false but wicked.

“I have no biological children other than my two children,” he said.

He explained that he adopted three children who were orphaned as a result of the Dana Airplane crash of 2012. He said the adoption of the children followed due process.

He said the allegations of his involvement in the National Assembly election are “product of the imagination of those who made the allegations.” He said he was out of the country at the time and only returned to Abuja in the early hours of the morning of the election and proceeded to Lagos from there.

On the allegation that he entrapped the state in huge debt, he said the state has always been indebted and this is a reflection of the growing population of the state and that the state has been running deficit budgets for a long time to cater to the need of the growing population.

“All the debts contracted in my time were approved by the parliament in the annual budgets, some have been paid back and the financial status was healthy and stable when I left. The outlook for the state and her rating by Fitch was long-term foreign and local currency IDRs at ‘BB-, short-term IDR at ‘B and national long-term rating at ‘AA+(nga)”

The former Lagos governor also chastised persons who had written petitions against him to the presidency.
“I expect them to know that allegations of wrong doing are not resolved without evidence, neither are they resolved in press conferences,” he said.

4 Die, as Helicopter Plunges into Lagoon

By Jimoh Babatunde, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Lawani Mikairu, Bose Adelaja, Daniel Eteghe & Richard Udofia

LAGOS—A helicopter belonging to Bristow Helicopters with 12 people on board, yesterday, crashed into the Lagoon near the Oworonsoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

According to an eyewitness, the aircraft, marked 5NBGD  was said to be coming from one of the oil rigs in the Escravos area of Delta  State and was said to be heading to Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja when it went down around 3.p.m.

According to reports, three of those on board were confirmed dead, while six others, who were rescued, were moved to the nearby Gbagada General Hospital and a private hospital.

The crash occurred at the back of Oworonsoki Police Station after a loud bang was heard from the helicopter. The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, its Lagos State counterpart, LASEMA, and policemen were said to have embarked on rescue operations immediately after the crash.

Above, a Bristow helicopter. TOP & RIGHT: Rescue operations, recovered items and part of the helicopter that crashed into the lagoon at Oworonsoki, Lagos, yesterday. Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor and Lamidi Bamidele,

According to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Oworonshoki, Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Chijioke Nduka, who led officers to the scene to rescue victims, there was a loud sound from the aircraft before the crash. He said more officers including the Area Commander, Ikeja Command, were at the scene assisting operatives of NEMA in the rescue operations.

To make rescue operations easier, routes to the site of the crash were cordoned off.

Director of Fire Services, Lagos State, Mr, Rasaq Fadipe and Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Kehinde Adebayo, confirmed the incident when contacted.

According to Fadipe, the number of casualties could not be ascertained at press time but rescue operation was still on-going.

“We are on ground, the fire has been put out while further rescue operation is still on-going. We will give details later,” Fadipe said.

Adebayo, in his comment said, LASEMA upon receipt of distress call raced to the scene and immediately commenced rescue operation.

According to him: “Three bodies were recovered from the debris of the crash while two that were also rescued were rushed to hospital for prompt medical attention.

The immediate or remote cause(s) of the crash, at press time could not be ascertained but it was gathered that the chopper  went down, as smoke was seen trailing it before if finally came crashing.

How it happened — Witness

Rescue operations, however, continued at the site of the crash as local fishermen were being joined by NEMA officials combing the lagoon for the remaining bodies.

The bodies of the dead three were conveyed by an ambulance of State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit with Lagos number SMK 303BK at about 6.15pm.

A resident who witnessed the plunging of the chopper into the lagoon said the pilot did well to prevent land casualties as the chopper almost landed on a church close to the Oworonsoki Police Station on Atanda Street.

Alfa Rasaq Bolaji, an eye witness said he was inside when children on the street, who saw the way the chopper was wobbling in the sky started shouting.

“It was their shout that brought me out only for the chopper to crash into the sea. I believe most of the dead were killed by the blades of the chopper as those who were rescued had cuts from the blades on their bodies”.

LASEMA confirmed that four bodies, all male, have been recovered so far, while six victims were rescued. Four of the rescued victims were said to be in stable condition and responding to treatment at Ggbagada General Hospital while two others are receiving treatment at a private hospital in Oworonsoki.

Rescue team, including local divers, at press time were still in search of two persons, but it was gathered that the possibility of recovering the victims alive was slim because of the number of hours spent underwater.

It was gathered that the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, immediately ordered that the survivors be given adequate medical treatment as the state government will pay all medical bills incurred in the process.

Attempts to speak with survivors was thwarted by medical staff and security operatives because they were said to be in a state of shock.

Names of six survivors

The suvivors were named as Solomon Ude, Joshua Emekema, Chukwudi Onah, Dolu Epiejura, Ononode Ojeite and Iniala Opaimi

The incident led to a heavy traffic gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge. Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, however, diverted traffic to other link bridges, Carter and Eko bridges to ease off the attendant gridlock on Third Mainland Bridge which was cordoned off to make rescue operations easier.

NCAA confirms crash

Reacting to the accident, the regulatory agency, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, said contrary to earlier reports that there were four people on board the crashed helicopter, the actual number of people on board the chopper was 12, including the crew.

According to Mr Fan Ndubuoke, General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, “A Bristow Helicopter with registration number 5N – BDG – 760540 from one of the nation’s oil rigs crashed at Oworonsoki in Lagos this evening.

“The helicopter scheduled to arrive Lagos 3.35 pm had 12 souls on board including the crew. However, the number of casualties is yet to be determined.”

Officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau was heard by Vanguard asking the Bristow Helicopters  safety officer to get all information about the chopper and the pilot ready for them.

The Bristow official said they have them ready for the aviation industry investigators.

AIB commences investigations

Spokesman of the Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr Tunji Oketunbi has also confirmed that the bureau has commenced investigation into the crash. In a text message to Vanguard, yesterday, Mr Oketunbi said: “Investigation has commenced with AIB Commissioner, Dr Felix Abali leading the team. 12 souls were believed to be on board. There were casualties and survivors. It was Britow’s helicopter on approach to land in Lagos”.

Mood at Bristow Helicopters at Lagos airport

The mood at the  headquarters of Bristow Helicopters at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos was that of bereavement as most of the staff of the company were talking about the crash, as they made their way home after the close of work.

Efforts made by Vanguard to get information from the Managing Director of the airline, Captain Akin Oni, proved abortive. However, the Public Relations Consultant to the company, Mr. Cornelius Onuoha, told Vanguard that he was busy preparing a press statement which was not ready at press time.

Crashed caused by neglect of tradition – Monarch

The Traditional ruler of Oworonsoki, Oba Basiru Oloruntoyin Saliu, who spoke to Vanguard in a telephone conversation said as soon as the incident occurred, he deployed all his chiefs and princes to the scene to assist in the rescue operation.

Oba Basiru also lamented total collapse of traditional rites in the area, saying this may be responsible for yesterday’s incident. “The government no longer pays attention to traditional rites which is necessary to prevent such occurrences. For instance, how many times have we appeased the goddess this year?

“An occurrence like this may be caused by the goddess because no human being can depict the depth of the lagoon; but if the goddess is appeased, she would have prevented such occurrence.”

Staff of Indigo Drill Nig. Ltd on board

Meanwhile, a report on the crash by LASWAwater guard confirmed that the passengers on board the crashed helicopter were staff of Indigo Drill Nigeria Limited an offshore drilling company.

The report was issued by the Managing Director of LASWAwater guard, Mr Yinka Marinho.

The latest crash is coming barely four years after the airline’s helicopter crashed in Port Harcourt. It will be recalled that a Bristow Helicopter with registration 5N-BMM  crashed at Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) on July 14, 2011.

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) had said that investigation carried out on the crash revealed that the two pilots in the cockpit were captains and were paired despite the fact that the airline has no pairing policy.

About the crashed helicopter

Investigation revealed that the aircraft said to be Sikorsky S-76 and Sikorsky S-92, were among the brands of helicopters in the fleet of Bristow.  According to one of the Pilots of the airline, the ill-fated plane might have been an either of the models.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/

Chasing fair skin, Ivorians ignore whitening cream ban

Abidjan (AFP) - At just 26, Fatou's skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Some even call her a "salamander" woman after the little reptile with light spots and translucent skin.

But nothing can stop the hairdresser in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan from using the skin-lightening cream in her quest for a paler complexion.

"I love light skin," Fatou said. "I can't stop."

Many Ivorian women -- as well as more and more men -- are using creams with dangerous chemicals for depigmentation, despite government attempts to stop the practice.

In late April, Ivory Coast banned whitening creams because of the negative health effects associated with them, ranging from white spots and acne to cancer.

If applied liberally, the cosmetics can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Professor Elidje Ekra, a dermatologist at Abidjan's Treichville university hospital.

The banned products include creams containing mercury, certain steroids, vitamin A, or with hydroquinone levels above two percent.

View gallery

A large billboard advertises skin-lightening products in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (AFP Photo/Sia Kambou)

Hydroquinone is often used in black and white photography and is banned as a skin-lightening ingredient in Europe as it is considered a potential carcinogen.

The dangers don't seem to deter consumers, though.

- 'Women who shine in the night' -

While no official statistics are available, "tchatchos" -- or those with lightened skin, often recognisable by their darker knuckles and elbows -- are omnipresent in Abidjan.

Businesses continue to sell the whitening products, because they know people will continue to buy them despite the risks.

"We know that our lightening products are dangerous," an executive for an Ivorian cosmetic company said, adding that a ban would be counterproductive.

View gallery

While no official statistics are available, 'tchatchos' - or those with lightened skin, ofte …

"It would push consumers to make their own products, which would be even worse.

"At least we know the composition."

Some women say that it's societal pressure -- particularly from men -- that forces them to lighten their skin.

"It's men that push women to become lighter," said Marie-Grace Amani, who has been whitening her skin for the past four years.

Ivory Coast's Health Minister Raymonde Goudou Coffie agrees.

Ivorian men "love women who shine in the night", she told AFP.

View gallery

A woman, who uses skin whitening cosmetics, poses poses for a photo in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (AFP Pho …

"They bring light and glow in the bedroom."

- Measure still an 'empty shell' -

Three months after the new law was introduced -- which could entail a fine of 50,000 to 350,000 CFA francs (76 to 534 euros / US$83 to $585) for violators -- salons are still advertising their lightening products.

Whitening soaps with names like "Glow and White" and "Body White" leave little doubt as to their intended use.

"After raising awareness, we will move to the next phase of removing products from the market," Coffie said.

A national evaluation and marketing authorisation committee has been set up to ensure implementation of the measures, but one of the biggest fights could be against cultural beauty standards.

Lightened faces continue to proliferate on billboards in Abidjan, with the featured models flaunting fair skin.

Ekra says that while it's a great initiative, the text is still an "empty shell".

"We see women on national television who use the corrosive products," said Ekra.

"Do those that enforce the measure even respect it?"

If people want to lighten their skin, experts say they'll always find a way to do it.

"We tell people it's not good for their health, but if they find something good there... we cannot forbid someone to do what they wish," said Paul Aristide Kadia, who sells the products.

The practice is not only present in Ivory Coast, but widespread elsewhere in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia.

In nearby Senegal, people mobilised against skin lightening in 2013, but failed to get a ban on products.

We live like rats, yet Nigerians want us to be their friends –Policemen

He was drenched with sweat by the time he wriggled himself through the narrow entrance of his room into the passageway. Looking very depressed and drowsy that Thursday afternoon, he dragged himself along the hole-ridden passage and collapsed into the rickety sofa beside the staircase that leads to the upper floors in one of the buildings in the barracks.

With frustration written all over his face, Emma Uden (not real names), a sergeant in the police, kept muttering to himself, but dosed off few minutes later. Apparently disturbed by the music blaring in his neighbourhood, Uden could not but open his eyes feebly and intermittently.

His pain was obvious to anyone who came across him, but the reason for his frustration was largely
unknown. However, as Uden would later tell PUNCH in a conversation he grudgingly consented to, since the apartment allotted to him in the barracks collapsed in June last year, he and his family had been living in the kitchen of one of the dilapidated buildings in Pedro police barracks, Somolu, Lagos. That was his main frustration.

“It was the only alternative we had at that time,” he said, as he unbuttoned his shirt to enjoy some fresh air.

Since he and his family were constrained to live in a room (kitchen), he said life had become one of bitterness and frustration. To escape the intense heat of the day and the constant constraint of space that his family of six could never live comfortably with, Uden had been used to sitting outside anytime he was home.

Hoping that respite could eventually come his way if he opened up to Saturday PUNCH, Uden wasted no time in leading their correspondent to his room where he lives with his wife and their four children. He opened the door and lowered his head as he made to enter, to avoid being bruised on the head by the doorframe. As he opened the curtain for Punch to enter, the odour, which seemed like a mixture of wet rug and accumulated sweat, that oozed out of the stuffy room was disturbing and could make anybody puke.

The room was like a store reserved for unused household items. The only window in the room appeared dysfunctional while the base of the wall that was visible was seriously dampened, and the ceiling riddled with signs of serious dilapidation. Expectedly, Uden, whose four children had occupied the only bed in the room, appeared discomfited by the state of the place he called home as he continually scratched his head to look for the right words.

Even though he is not alone in such a tortuous situation in the premises, he said he had resorted to coming home just to sleep, unless he was off duty. This, he said, was to avail his family some space in the room and that sometimes he would rather stay in his office or volunteer to go on patrol, all in a bid to stay away from home. They don’t even live alone in the house, occasionally, the family live with big rats that find their way out of the broken septic tank located close to the kitchen into the room.

He said:

 “When we were still living in the room and parlour before our building collapsed last year, we were managing because of the small space, not to talk of now that we have just one room, which used to be a kitchen. It’s like living in a cave. That is the lot of most of us.

“Can you imagine that? We live in a kitchen, and you want policemen to be your friends while you all live in your comfortable mansions. You expect us to carry rifle and risk our lives to protect people. Haba!”

His passionate expression of grief was second to none, even though he said he had concluded arrangements to leave the barracks for a room and parlour accommodation he secured somewhere in Bariga area of Lagos.

He added:

 “If nobody takes care of us, we will take care of ourselves, because apart from the space issue, we (residents of this barracks) queue to use toilet and bathroom, because the ones available are not adequate. So we queue to bathe every morning. Here, three-room and parlour flats share one toilet and bathroom. For me and my family who live in an abandoned kitchen, we pair with another flat. So, we join the queue every morning.

Don’t forget that we are all adults with families. I feel ashamed that I go through this every morning. Tell those people in government what you saw here. Let them know we are suffering. Even when we get to the office, we either sit under the tree or stand in the sun.”

http://www.punchng.com/

Oil Money: Buhari Starts Probe Of Jonathan's Government

It has been revealed that the former government of Goodluck Jonathan is to face a complete investigation in the nearest future.

The National Economic Council’s ad-hoc committee on the crude oil proceeds management, led by the Edo state governor Adams Oshiomhole, is set to hire two international forensic audit firms to obtain details of the allocation of the revenue accrued into the federation account, Vanguard reports.

The committee head disclosed this on Thursday, August 6, in Abuja, adding that the period under investigation will be from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2015.

Oshiomhole further told journalists that some agencies involved in revenue generation had already been invited to brief the body, which includes Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.

Oshiomhole vowed to ensure a thorough and professional approach to the investigation.

“We held our first primary session today here with some of the revenue generating agencies that are supposed to remit funds to the federation account. We had a successful session with Customs, NPA, NEITI, SEC, FIRS, and quite a number of others and next week we will also hear from CBN, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

“For the remaining ones, we agree we are going to meet on Thursday next week, NNPC, NPDC, DPR, NIMASA and other remaining agencies. We have started the work, with the idea to hear them out, what they have been doing, with particular emphasis on revenue accruing from these organizations and whether or not these have been remitted to the Federation Account for judicious distribution.

“We realised that this is a task and given our mandate, even if we were professional accountants because we are sitting governors, we would not have the time to do a forensic audit which this assignment entails.

“Therefore, we have agreed in line with our mandate to appoint two reputable international audit firms to carry out a thorough forensic audit, not only of NNPC, which is more of excess crude, but other monies that accrued to the Federation Accounts. We have other revenues like bonuses, royalties, taxes, VAT that flow into the Federation Account.

“We are taking a holistic review of the entire process, looking at all the agencies that make contribution of funds to the federation account. We are convinced that by appointing audit firms, we will allow professionals to carry out this exercise, so that it will be free of any political colouration and also we will ensure the outcome of the investigation will.

“We have learned, we have listened and asked questions. I think we all have a clear picture of what is happening in those organizations before now. Some have information to supply and we have drawn attention to those areas, they are willing to oblige. We believe in the end, we will be able to not just establish what had happened over the period but much more important, going forward with the changes the President has promised the country.

“It is not going to be business as usual. He started on a clean slate and everybody knows the new rules of the game and in particular as the laws apply to the various institutions are implemented in full. So I think we started very well. We are very confident that we are going to come out with something that is going to be of immense benefits to the Nigerian people… 

“Some reports were produced by PWC but in that report the PWC expressed their frustration and pointed to the fact that they were not able to access all the information they needed and that what they were able to produce was to the extent of information that was made available to them.

“Audit can only be credible as much as information that was made available to auditors. The good news now is that with President Buhari, all the books will be open, no agency has any protection. Any agency that refuses to open the books then is ready to go on confrontation with the authority.

“The forensic audit will act on the whole truth and nothing but the truth so that all stakeholders will have basis to formulate good policies and that Nigeria will never find itself in this circle where huge sums of money are allegedly diverted and unaccounted for. Audit has become a way of life for all public institutions.”

Speaking about the five-year term to be covered, Oshiomhole noted that should there be need to track details preceding the said period, the committee would not limit the time frame.

“We can’t impose a time frame on them but will engage them and by Thursday we will be able to make it public. We need to listen to them and agreed with them on how much time will be okay for them. We are all in a hurry to ensure that the right thing is done. The emphasis is not on time but doing thorough job.

“By next week we will meet with the big ones and we will then be able to tell you the audit firms that we have appointed. They are firms I am sure Nigerians will have confidence in.

“At the end of the audit we will hear them out and reconcile them with what the laws says and arrive at a position. Given the volume of work and complicated nature of issues, we agreed we need professionals to carry out the audit. It is only the professionals that can handle it. It is not good to compromise.”

It should be noted that Governor Oshiomhole’s claims have been widely publicised recently. The first loud statement was made earlier in July when the politician insisted that one of Jonathan’s ministers had stolen $6billion oil money, which he said was revealed to President Muhammadu Buhari by US officials.

In another development an anonymous source from the president’s entourage said that the US had given Buhari a list containing the specific names of oil thieves.

Naij.com