Wednesday, 22 May 2013
$31 Billion Stolen Under President Jonathan Of Nigeria –PUNCH
President Goodluck Jonathan
By Toyosi Ogunseye, Allwell Okpi and Leke Baiyewu
Over N5tn in government funds have been stolen through fraud, embezzlement and theft since President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office on May 6, 2010, aSUNDAY PUNCH investigation has found.
Our correspondents arrived at the stolen sum after poring over the reports of the various committees set up by the President to probe some sectors of the economy, particularly oil and gas. SUNDAY PUNCHalso relied on disclosures by some senior government officials.
Five trillion naira is the summation of government funds said to have been stolen, according to the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Task Force report; the Minister of Trade and Investment’s report on stolen crude; the House of Representatives fuel subsidy report and investigations into the ecological fund, SIM card registration and frequency band spectrum sale.
The Ribadu report on the oil and gas sector put daily crude oil theft at a high 250,000 barrels daily at a cost of $6.3bn (N1.2trn) a year. This puts the total amount lost through oil theft in the two years of Jonathan’s government at over $12.6bn (N2trn).
Oil theft is common in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. In June, a special naval team impounded a French ship, MT Vannessa, at Brass Loading Terminal, Bayelsa State, for allegedly stealing 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day from the country.
Our sister publication, SATURDAY PUNCH, had reported that the suspects, in their confessional statements, indicted some political office holders, many fuel marketers and some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Department of Petroleum Resources.
In October, Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, in a letter to the President, said 24 million barrels of oil worth $1.6bn (N252bn) was stolen between July and September.
According to Aganga, his signature was forged on the Export Clearance Permit that was used to export the crude oil from Nigeria.
Confirming that oil theft was depleting Nigeria’s resources, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in May, said the government lost a fifth of its oil revenues to theft in April.
Apart from income lost through oil theft, the Ribadu report also said ministers of Petroleum Resources between 2008 and 2011 handed out seven discretionary oil licences and that government lost $183m (N29bn) in signature bonuses via these deals.
The Ribadu panel discovered that three of the oil licences were awarded under the current petroleum minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who took up her position in 2010. Alison-Madueke, however, denied knowledge of the discretionary awards.
Shortly before the Ribadu report, the House of Representatives had raised the alarm that the N2.6trn the Federal Government paid for oil subsidy in 2011 could not be properly accounted for.
The House said, “Fuel subsidy payments amounted to N261.1bn in 2006, N278.8bn in 2007 and N346.7bn in 2008, but, even after the subsidy on diesel had been removed, the ‘subsidy’ payments jumped to N2.58trn in 2011 — more than 900 per cent of the sum appropriated for the year (N245bn).”
A subsequent report by the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments, led by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, revealed that in 2011, 197 subsidy transactions worth N232bn were illegitimate.
These frauds are not limited to the oil industry, as similar probes have shown that almost all sectors are involved.
In July, the House of Representatives Committee on Environment discovered a tree seedling fraud worth N2bn awarded by the Ecological Fund office.
Chairman of the committee on environment, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, said this during an investigative hearing on the mismanagement of ecological funds for the development of tree nurseries and seedlings in the 36 states.
According to her, out of the N3bn approved by the Presidency in 2010, N2bn was released to the contractors and consultants without government getting value.
Minister of Environment Hadiza Mailafia, however, said the contract was awarded by her predecessor.
In the telecommunications sector, the House instituted a probe into the sale of the frequency brand spectrum, which was reportedly sold for less than its value.
The 450MHz frequency, which was valued at over $50m, was allegedly sold for less than $6m (a difference of $44m or N6.9bn) by the Nigeria Communications Commission.
In the same sector, the reps, earlier this year, commenced investigations into the N6.1bn SIM card registration project embarked upon by the NCC in 2011.
The investigation followed the delay in completing the exercise and the request by NCC for additional N1bn for the project in its 2012 budget.
The lawmakers insisted that the NCC had no business embarking on the project since various service providers were already registering their subscribers.
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Mr. Usman Bawa, had said, “The NCC has no business with SIM card registration. Apart from that, the service providers have done about 80 per cent of the registration because they started before the NCC. To me, for the regulatory body to be involved in the registration is a duplication of effort, a waste of resources and time.
“Even, the manner with which the bill for the N6.1bn was passed during the Sixth Assembly showed that there was more to it than meets the eyes. From our investigations, from which our report was compiled, our interactions with the NCC contractors for the SIM card registration and the service providers, a lot has been exposed and this was part of the reason why we removed the N1bn that was budgeted for the same SIM card registration in the last budget.”
It would be recalled that the then Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, had, in August, 2010, agreed that the amount budgeted for SIM card registration was exorbitant.
Reacting to the massive frauds that have greeted Jonathan’s tenure, Transparency International, told one of our correspondents that Nigeria would continue to slack in development as long as it keeps paying lip service to the fight against corruption.
It said via electronic mail, “President Jonathan should insist that those accused of corruption are properly investigated and punished if found guilty, irrespective of their positions and connections. The judiciary must be seen as impartial and fair.
“To signal a break with the past, the government should set up an independent investigatory panel to review charges of corruption within government and the private sector. President Jonathan should endorse the panel and commit to ensure it has both the scope and the power to investigate and prosecute.
“This is not just a matter of justice; fighting corruption can affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The current culture of corruption hurts the majority of Nigerians while the inequality gap widens.”
Also speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH, the Director, Centre for Applied Economics, Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, said the spate of corruption in the country was unprecedented.
The political economist argued that prosecution and jail terms for corrupt individuals would not be as effective as building a societal institution that would prevent corruption.
A former Vice Chancellor, Crescent University, Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, also warned that corruption would spell doom for the country if the trend continued.
He said, “It is unfortunate that the country will not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals. There is a need for the masses to hold a three-day protest against corruption to force government to prosecute those indicted for corruption.”
Similarly, Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said, “For Jonathan to fight corruption, he must start with his cabinet. The way Jonathan is going about his campaign against corruption is not the best way to go about it.”
A global audit and financial advisory firm, KPMG, had on Thursday stated that Nigeria accounted for the highest number of fraud cases in Africa in the first half of 2012.
The cost of fraud in the country during the period was put at $1.5bn (N225bn).
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masses should bound in freedom, peace nd unity..
Submitted by msquarebk (not verified) on November 26, 2012 - 18:11.
helo nigerians, first of all , i would lyk to use dis opportunity to express my opinion to d nigerian youth..we shul make sure dat we bound dis nation in freedom ,peace nd unity. witout tribalism,no selfishness, no regionography,no religious crisis..if u done these ,its easy 4 us to elimate these old monsters(leaders)transform our country's economy, build a gr8t nation wit gr8t peoples. together we can make our county a beautfl land dat has modern structures, eliminates poverty nd corruptns..may almighty GOD guide us
Hey
Submitted by Orji (not verified) on November 26, 2012 - 05:59.
If you dont know what to say why cant you keep your mouth shot...pdp is not the problem because its just an ordinary name...what about the representatives from all constituency? what are they doing to Nigeria problem? are you telling me that GEJ has power over them? My friend the problem is not the PDP but our representative in house of Rep....they should all stand up and do what is necessary for the country and their constituency. PDP has no two third in the house so what is going?
you are a fool
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 26, 2012 - 05:46.
If u ar a coward yoruba man,me I am not neither any yoruba man is.if u come from a coward yoruba family,that's your problem.you think its easy to fight a military regime?a dictator for that matter.where were you when yorubas were fighting the military regimes of IBB and Abacha.do you know how many yorubas lost their lives in that struggle?It was the yorubas tha solely fought and chased IBB and Abacha out? I guess you should be in your mothers womb then.,where were niger delta miltants when Tuari yaradua was intimidating Jonathan? Where were the SS and East when the mandate to put Gej as president was refused by the Northerners.was it not wole Soynka and other activist majorly from the west that demostrated at abuja to put the idiot as president? You guys should watch the way and manners you talk to yorubas epecially you South south and East cowards.
Deri how much are you worth
Submitted by dan fulani (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 22:31.
Deri how much are you worth now?
@Deri: Re: where are the 31 thieves ribadu told us about
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 21:10.
@Deri:
you asked " where are the 31 thieves ribadu told us about" ?
One of them is the clown in power now who thinks he's the President.
PDP IS THE PROBLEM
Submitted by AMAKOR (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 19:08.
PDP, Cabal of kleptomaniacs are the real problem of Nigeria. Remove PDP from power the problem of Nigeria will be greatly solved. Unfortunately, the opposition are so disorganized and have no structure to challenge PDP. PDP has a structure that perpetuate corruption to all levels and strata of our society, even up to family level. Check families with PDP stalwarts, you will understand what I mean.
Sorry to Nigeria, bye to Nigeria.
You are Right Mr. Anonymous!!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 19:08.
You are Right Mr. Anonymous!! Unless the people rise up, this kind of wanton theft and utter disregard for the people will continue. Wake up Nigerians!!
i've never seen a people so
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 18:22.
i've never seen a people so weak in my life.....Nigerians are the most fearful set of human-beings i've met on the planet
nigeria
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 15:30.
God bless nigeria.. follow me here for more entertainment news and gist and news around the globe here at www.gistyinka.com
make it you daily digest...
Thieves are in Charge
Submitted by Solaside (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 15:01.
Thieves are in charge so no worries! It is Jonathan's oil DERI will say. What about our taxes? 4.6T this year alone yet a budget of 4.5T could not perform. Well they asked for 100% derivatives you gave them 13% they are stealing the balance of 87% goodluck to them.
Chase these corrupt bastards
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 14:31.
Chase these corrupt bastards out of our town. What are we waiting for. Call the Nigerian spring now, enough of the talking. It's time for mass action period.
Monster of Corruption
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 14:30.
Oh that God will quickly arise and cut off the spirits of every corrupt leader in Nigeria. This will make them leave the earth. What a miracle of deliverance that will be for every truly oppressed Nigerian, Amen.
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I do not blame the government
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 14:27.
I do not blame the government in all of this. The onus is on the Nigerian people to do something, however radical about this ongoing menace. We have talked for too long. Take a cue from Egypt and how she has erupted in the last few days because of an attempt by the president to arrogate more powers to himself. If that happened in Nigeria, we would have said that he should be given a chance because he has barely settled down to the work of nation building. Mumus wake up. The government lost its mandate when they chose to fleece us of our commonwealth, failed to guarantee the security of our lives and property, failed to provide our youths with jobs or social security nets for our elderly and less priviged, failed to provide access to quality education, clean drinking water, safe food, basic healthcare and safe roads, rails, air and waterways. They are obviously clueless as to what governance involves. We are left with no other choice than to chase these corrupt bastards out of town.
check www.160bits.com for
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 13:54.
check www.160bits.com for updates of whats happening now in your city and other issues of interest in Nigeria. News is updated by the community in bits, real-time. Join now, free!
The joke is on those who voted in the Otuoke Clown !
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 13:48.
No cause for alarm, it's all part of the transformation agenda of the Otuoke Clown. The joke is on those who foolishly thought a man who couldn't stand up to Turai, even though he had the consitution backing him up, will be able to confront CORRUPTION.
The fake OC lawyer would rather want us to blame the police, customs, gate-men, you and I are to blame for Jonathan's obvious ineptitude. He and Deripapa have sold their souls to the devil for peanuts and as Judas had his judgement so also would they have their judgement !
Jonathan is weak and corrupt ! In 2015, vote with your thinking head and not with emotion or religion !
Corruption slacks and retrogresses Development.
Submitted by Jude Chidiebere Okpe (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 13:19.
No society in history developed or progressed with pockets of corruption and well spread irregularities and disregard for order and due process. So many societies collapsed for these. Nigeria's own has become well institutionalized. So worrisome that the vanguards always allow the system sinking.It will take several years to pay these debts. The prize already is a time bomb. God save the poor masses!
Even Jonathan looks
Submitted by KS (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 13:05.
Even Jonathan looks overwhelmed by his competence in the pic above. Why anyone thought such a clown could fight corruption in his own household (not to talk of nation) beats my imagination!!!
Miscalculation of the Arewa & Oduduwa Republic
Submitted by akpos1 (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 12:55.
Jona is from the SS & his Army commander an Ibo from the core SE. These are people with whom cowardice is alien unlike the Yoruba West. So BH tactics does nothing to these guys.
The Talakawa led the continent & ruined it for that long because the seat of power was in the West where people can only bark but never bite.
For 37yrs in Lagos, no single Western citizen attempted a coup. Shame. Instead they supported one Fulani or another. Yes, it is true that some useless SS&SE pple also supported these Fulani then, but recall that during riots or other times their own people revolted & destroyed their property protesting their alliance with d backward North. But not in the West. They were always comfortable with the visionless North & hence d continent is where it is today...But for d gallantry of d Bendel boys of SS & SE extraction who smoked IBB out of Dodan barracks in 1990, the stage for Military exit would never have been set.
Long live the United States of the SS & SE
Re: Ribadu Committee Report
Submitted by Don (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 12:54.
GEJ is a big crook, and will even be worst than OBJ, IBB, Abacha, even Abdulsalami. Unfortunately, Nigerians can't do anything about him now untill 2015.
He, GEJ had packed all the Ijaw militants, Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, E. K. Clerk, and others to Abuja. A further 30,000 Ijaws youths have been placed on amnesty of Federal govt, benefitting from money meant for all Nigerians.
Diezeni is fronting for GEJ at the NNPC, Orubebe at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, all other ministers and Ambassadors pays certain percentage of their ministry budgets into foreign accounts for GEJ. What more can Nigerians expect from GEJ.
Nigeria, please shine your eyes in 2015. Clamour for Ribadu to contest.
Re: Buari For President
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 12:42.
Please pray for Ribadu to contest. I will vote for Ribadu anytime andy day. If all Nigerians can stick out their necks and support Ribadu, things will be fine.
Nigerian Youths should act for once. Pick up cuttlases, stones, arms and chase out GEJ and his team of Militants and then support Ribadu, if he is going to contest.
Nigerians, what do you think?
$31 billion stolen under president Goodluck jonathern
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 12:15.
I irony is what is going with the Nuhu ribadu report shares similarity. With the Farouk lawan report..its so obvious some mighty people do not want the truth to be exposed..
What else do you think
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 12:02.
What else do you think Nigerians can get from GEJ? He has packed all the Ijaw mafians, Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, E. K. Clark, and a host of others to Abuja, and more than 30,000 Ijaw youths have been placed on Amnesty program of Federal government, courtesy GEJ, and they enjoy federal government money that is meant for all Nigerians. What a country we are living in.
By 2015, he is still going to contest to destroy Nigeria the more. Diezeni fronts for him at the NNPC, Orubebe fronts for him at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and all the Ministers and Ambassadors pay certain percentage of the budgets for their ministries into a foreign account for him GEJ. Is Nigeria not finished under GEJ?
No one should see GEJ as innocent, he is almost getting worst than Babangida, Obasanja and Abacha, even Abdulsalam. Nigerians, pls shine your eyes on GEJ.
Commander in thief
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 11:31.
What do expect from a thief? He's there to have his own share. I'm not expecting dumbo to fight corruption.
vote dumbo out in 2015
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 11:25.
Yes vote Buhari and this mess will be taken care of.
I do find it really hard to
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 11:14.
I do find it really hard to understand why Nigerians seem to think that recycling the same people who've had their own share of public funds is the answer to our problems. The answer is certainly not Buhari. What the answer may be is a massive revolution that would consume this evil followed by a national discuss on how what remains after the revolution should be governed.
Nigeria, my Nigeria
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 10:24.
Una never know anything. When Nigerians saw darkness and decided to embrace it on the grounds of religion and region,then we took ourselves under.I wanted how much a man can eat in his 120 years life time,greed is really amazing.But God will deliver us soonest.Our cries are hitting the heavens hard at the time.Prayer is the last hope of the troubled sould.Our souls have been afflicted for so long.
Outrageous!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 10:07.
If this revelation is true, then it is not only worrisome but outrageous for a country to be run in this manner!
31 billion dollars stollen under Jonathan
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 09:52.
What do expect from Jonathan?He cannot effectively fight corruption, because he inherited it, he was smugled into Aso Rock to protect his Master looting of our Economy.Mark my words,Jonathan will be the worst president of Nigeria.I wish Nigerians are courageous enough to stand up and protest for their right, things will go right within a shortt while.Look at other nations standing up for their right.I weep for our dieying nation.O Nigerians when will you wake up from your Slumber.Let us rise up and recover our stolen resources from this wicked and heartless criminal called our politicians.I want every Nigerian to stand up and let us March to Abuja from every part of the Country to occupy Eagle square until our demands are met.
@OSITA DIOKA where are the 31 thieves ribadu told us about
Submitted by DERI (not verified) on November 25, 2012 - 09:48.
Corruption in Nigeria is not complicated-the usual excuse is to arrest powerless indivuals from the SS and use them as pawns in the socalled fight against corruption. Its time 9jas come out and show us d faces of the governors investigated by efcc and given the Alams and Ibori treatment or shut up for once! Are we not all equal b4 the law? What should some be treated as the Maharajas of corruption in 9ja while others are tagged with the label (Handle with care)as if they are breakable plates? 99.9 percent of those adjudged to have been involved in the Halliburton and Siemen scams are people from the Mecca or the Vatican of Nigeria-the untouchables zones-and they are the ones who often open their smelly thieving mouths here, to accuse Jonah of double standard-David West, Alams and Ibori went to jail-Kensarowiwa hanged-what aboput the rest 31 thieves Ribadu mentioned? In Siberia abi?-pls give me a break with your rubbish!
Vote Buhari President 2015 To Stop Corruption And Looting!!!
Submitted by Sunday Njokede on November 25, 2012 - 09:37.
The best thing is to vote Jonathan out in 2015. Buhari is the answer.
