THE near future of some former ministers and top government officials appears to be behind bars as President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday confirmed that he had started receiving some documents, which showed that they were thieves.

The President vowed that the ex-ministers would be prosecuted based on the indicting documents while the proceeds of their fraud would be repatriated to government coffers from their multiple foreign accounts, which he said were opened for the purpose of laundering money.

Buhari said the documents at his disposal indicted some former ministers and other top government officials of massive fraud, including oil theft.

“Some former ministers were selling about one million barrels per day. I assure you that we will trace and repatriate such money and use the documents to prosecute them. A lot of damage has been done to the integrity of Nigeria with individuals and institutions already compromised,” the President said.

He spoke at an interactive session with Nigerians in Diaspora at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC, United States of America, as part of his four-day official visit to the country.

He also said that while many Nigerians had nicknamed him “Baba Go Slow” because of the delay in forming his cabinet, he would prefer to be “slow and steady” in taking decisions.

He said the government officials who had been stealing Nigerian oil also opened as many as five bank accounts abroad for the purpose of laundering the money they made from their thievery.

The President said, “We are now looking for evidences of shipping some of our crude, their destinations and where and which accounts they were paid and in which country.

“When we get as much as we can get as soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze those accounts and go to court, prosecute those people and let the accounts be taken to Nigeria.

“The amount of money is mind-boggling but we have started getting documents. We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them operated as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrels per day on their own. We have started getting those documents.

“I assure you that whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from ministries, departments, Central Bank, we will ask for the cooperation of those countries to return those monies to the Federation Accounts.

“And we will use those documents to arrest those people and prosecute them. This, I promise Nigerians.”

Buhari faulted the mode of operation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, saying his administration would check the excesses of the corporation.

The President restated his position that removal of subsidy would bring more hardship on Nigerians.

He however said he would study the debate and take a decision based on his experience.

He said, “Who is subsiding who? But people are gleefully talking ‘remove subsidy.’ They want petrol to cost N500 per litre.

“If you are working and subsidy is removed, you can’t control transport, you can’t control market women, the cost of food and the cost of transport.

“If you are earning N20, 000 per day and you are living in Lagos or Ibadan, the cost of transport to work and back, the cost of food. You cannot control the market women because they have to pay what transporters charge them.

“If there is a need for removing subsidy, I will study it. With my experience, I will see what I can do. But I am thinking more than half of Nigerians cannot afford to live without subsidy.

“Where will they get the money to go to work? How will they feed their families? How will they pay rent? If Nigeria were not an oil producing country, all well and good.

“Our refineries are not working. We have a lot of work to do.”

Buhari decried those he said had started calling him “Baba Go Slow” because he has yet to form his cabinet, weeks after his inauguration.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathans-ministers-behind-oil-theft-buhari/

Let the probe begins.

We dont want justice on the front of newspaper only, we want those found guilty to be ban for life in government appointment or posts and also spend years in prison and not house arrest.

Please probe wisely not witch-hunt.

I love sai buhari but to me its just victimizing GEJ if he really wants probing let him start from when Nigeria went 50years behind which was during the military era and start his probe.
I know GEJ's ministers are corrupt but let him start from that time and see if 9ja won't recover over a trillion dollars.
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baba talkatiVE




b like dis man dey eat parrot tu-much

Ok. Probe them all including the clueless one

This is a government that has the people interest at mind..



Nigeria will be great again

Good development i don't think is a bad idea, but please before you start that; try to create job for the youth that was shouting Change that brought you into power. As things are going now, if care is not taken baba will not do any other thing until he prosecute this ministers.

That is always the headline of every newspapers company in Nigeria. when will stop hearing this? All what I want is to wake up and see security free nation, 0.9% unemployment, stable water supply/electricity, good tile road that link all state in Nigeria, exporting not importing. Many company/firm that can generate more employment to the youth, Increment in wages/salary of N46000 on level1, well equips tertiary/secondary institution in Nigeria etc.