By Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG

ASSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has charged members of the white paper committee on Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, PRSTF, to put the interest of the nation above personal interest and ensure that those who defrauded Nigeria of billions of naira do not go unpunished.

This came as the association called on President Goodluck Jonathan to be serious in confronting the power problem in the country, if the nation’s dream of becoming among the 20 developed countries in 2020 could be realized.

Addressing members and other guests at its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, President of the association, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, said “The melo-drama that played out during the presentation of the report of Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, has once again confirmed the widely held view that the Government is paying lip service to the vexed issue of corruption.

You will recall that, during the presentation of the report at the State House in Abuja, two members of the task force namely, Steve Oronsanye and Bernard Otti, openly condemned rubbish and discredit the report before Mr. President.  As expected, entrenched interest have launched and intensified their offensive to also discredit the report to facilitate the cover up of its damning revelations and recommendations.”

“The Ribadu Report found anomalies ranging from $183 million in signature bonuses for oil bloc licenses not accounted for, to $3.02 billion in unpaid royalties, theft of up to 250,000 barrels of crude per day and fraud by NNPC in converting its dollar earning into naira.  There are several other issues raised by the Committee, which to us should not be swept under the carpet.  We commend Mr. President for agreeing to set up White Paper Committee on the Ribadu Report in spite of pressures from powerful quarters to dump the Report.  We remain hopeful that the Committee will not leave out any detail as regards those found to have defrauded the country and that Government would rise up to the occasion by ensuring that anyone or organisation found wanting is punished.  This is the only way Nigerians can be convinced that the Federal Government is serious about its much avowed claim of fighting corruption.”

Continuing, Comrade Kaigama noted that “recent report by the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), admitted that Nigeria has the unenviable record of being the country with the biggest gap between supply and demand for electricity in the world. It stated that Nigeria with a population of 150 million people generates 3,800 megawatts (mw) of electricity, while South Africa with a population of 47 million generates 40,000 mw. It is also on record that Algeria with a population of 36,423,000 generates 12,000mw; Angola 7,000mw for 18,498,000 people; Kuwait 9,400mw for 3,566,473 populations; Libya 9,400mw for 5,670,688 people; Iran 61,000mw for 75,330,000 population; Venezuela 23,000mw for 29,105,632 population.”

“The mind-boggling is endless. Yet instead of intensifying efforts to improve power supply, the Federal Government has authorized increase in electricity tariff thereby impoverishing Nigerians the more as citizens are compelled to pay for electricity supply they do not consume.  The case of electricity supply in Nigeria can be likened to the popular saying that the more you look, the less you see.  The Federal Government therefore needs to be very serious about tackling the problem of energy deficit, otherwise we will continue to move in circles.  It is indeed surprising that a country which wants to be among the best 20 economies in the world by year 2020, cannot guarantee basic social needs such as electricity, potable water, good road network, decent housing, healthcare delivery, affordable and qualitative education, etc, for its citizenry eight years to the envisaged Eldorado.”

On the total subsidy removal debate, he said “ It is indeed surprising that after the stiff opposition that trailed the removal of fuel subsidy in January 2012, the Government is contemplating total deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, to further hike the prices of fuel and other petroleum products when those fingered by the Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives to have ripped off the country of N1.7 trillion through fuel subsidy scam have not been brought to justice.  By not being sensitive to the plight of the people, the impression being created by this Government is that the essence of governance is to inflict maximum pain on the people.  I am afraid, fellow Comrades, that if this trend continues, Nigerians may begin to think that DEMOCRACY IS A CURSE and this will certainly not be in anybody’s interest.