Subsidy scam: Senate reads riot act to EFCC •No sacred cows, lawmakers warn anti-graft agency

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Legislature, Senate Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Senate yesterday warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to treat anyone found culpable in the mismanagement of fuel subsidy funds as “sacred cows.” The Upper Legislative chamber reiterated that they are the people who created the subsidy crisis in the first place.

The Senate gave the warning yesterday through its spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe, in reaction to EFCC raid on the office of Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), following an invitation by the Petroleum Ministry to investigate the management of fuel subsidy scheme.

EFCC’s operatives had on Monday stormed the PPPRA office in Abuja, demanding documents relating to the administration of petroleum subsidy.
The invitation to the EFCC to investigate the management of the fuel subsidy scheme followed demands for transparency and accountability in government, especially in the oil and gas sector.

Shedding more light on why the Senate did not take a position on the fuel subsidy crisis, Abaribe said: “The best way is not to take sides. That is why the Senate did not come out frontally to make a pronouncement, but I think the Senate took the best position and help to douse an imminent crisis that would have engulfed our country.
“I commend the leadership of the Senate as the role of the Senate was pivotal to the resolution of the crisis. Usually, an arbiter does not take centre stage. Because we are committed to our role to protect the interest of the Nigerian public, the Senate has to take the responsibility of bringing the two sides together.

“The only way to bring the two sides together is not to take side prior to the negotiation. That is why it seems that the Senate did not come out frontally to make a pronouncement, but I think, as at today, it has shown that the Senate took the best position and help to douse an imminent crisis that would have engulfed our country. “What we seek today is to ensure that whatever decision that is going to come out of the Belgore committee and Labour will be faithfully implemented.”

On the EFCC’s invasion of PPPRA and NNPC, Abaribe said: “I think it is necessary to state here that the Senate did commence investigation into the management of the subsidy and so many things were revealed during our investigation and it led to the naming of all those who unduly profited from the subsidy scam as we have known it now,” he said.
“And we call on the investigative agencies to ensure that no one is spared because those are the people that have brought us to this avoidable hardship. We think that those economic saboteurs should be brought to book. Senate is willing to go all out to make sure that everybody’s interest is fully protected.

“We do not know what the recommendation that you will get from there would be the one that will be in the interest of Nigerians. When the committee probing BPE was meeting, I promised you that their recommendations will be in the interest of Nigeria and that was exactly what happened.
“So, we also said that the committee will come up with it its recommendation and it will be in the interest of Nigeria. I don’t think that it will in anyway be detrimental to what is going on with the investigative agencies of government.”

-Sunwp_posts