“ Some Former Ministers Were Selling About One Million Barrels Of Stolen Crude Per Day ” - President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in the United
States vowed that his administration would trace the
accounts of individuals who stashed away ill-gotten oil
money, freeze and recover the loot and prosecute the
culprits.

Reacting to questions from members of Nigerians In
Diaspora Organization (NIDO) in the United States and
Canada at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC on
the third day of his visit, the President lamented that
“Corruption in Nigeria has virtually developed into a
culture where honest people are abused.”
According to him, “250,000 barrels per day of Nigerian
crude are being stolen and people sell and put the
money into individual accounts,” adding that the United
States and other developed countries “are helping us to
trace such accounts now.
We will ask that such accounts be frozen and prosecute
the persons. The amount involved is mind-boggling.
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.”
Citing the example of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), President Buhari said unlike what
obtained during his tenure as Federal Commissioner for
Petroleum under military regime when the NNPC had
only two traceable accounts before paying oil proceeds
into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), “now everybody
is doing anyhow.”
The President, who expressed skepticism on the
existence of oil subsidy, said if subsidy was removed,
transport, housing and food prices would go out of
control and the average worker would suffer untold
hardship.
While agreeing that the “economy is in an extremely bad
shape,” following 16 years of bad government by the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which ran down the oil
refineries and had the “treasury in their pockets,” he said
the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration
would fulfill its three-pronged campaign manifesto of
providing security, turning around the economy with a
major focus on youth employment and fighting
corruption. According to him, agriculture and mining
would receive priority attention as faster job-creation
avenues for the teeming unemployed youth, adding that
some foreign investors had agreed to take advantage of
the immense business opportunities in Nigeria.
President Jonathan when asked if the Federal
Government (FG) would agree to negotiate with the Boko
Haram insurgent and terrorist organization to pave way
for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls,
replied that the FG would only negotiate if genuine and
confirmed leaders of the militant sect came forward and
convinced the FG of the current conditions of the girls,
their location and the sect’s willingness to negotiate.
“Our objective is that we want the girls back, alive and
returned to their families and rehabilitated. We are
working with neighboring countries if they will help,” he
said.
On when he would form his cabinet, the President, who
observed jokingly that the question was chasing him
around the world even to the point that at home he had
been nicknamed, “Baba Go Slow!”, noted that not even
the PDP during all the years it ruled the country ever
never formed a cabinet within the first four months. “I
am going to go slow and steady,” he assured, as he
called for patience to allow the new administration “put
some sense into governance and deal with corruption.”
President Buhari promised that his administration would
at the right time tap into the enormous talents available
amongst members of NIDO especially as consultants
while their requests for voting right in 2019, a Diaspora
Commission and opening of new consulates in parts of
the United States and Canada would be looked into.
The President had earlier met at the same venue with a
group of young professionals in the United States and
assured them of his government’s resolve to fight
corruption, remain steadfast and invest heavily in
education which he said was the answer to taking the
youth out of poverty and ignorance.  The youth in their
huge numbers took turns to express their best wishes
for the President and the country.
GARBA SHEHU
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 22, 2015