Recent events in Nigeria surrounding accusations and counter accusations of misapplication, misappropriation or is the outright misuse of public funds accruing to the Petroleum Technology and Development Fund (PTDF) by the President and his Vice portend grave dangers to the principle of accountability as a bedrock of democratic ethos. The sleaze surrounding it all imposes responsibilities on all well meaning Nigerians, whether as individuals or groups, to proclaim the voice of the people that this charade must stop. Our leaders must exercise the highest form of integrity in their private and public conduct and must be accountable to the people.
PTDF was set up with the primary mission of training Nigerians to qualify as graduates, professionals, technicians and craftsmen in the fields of Engineering, Geology, Science and Management in the Oil, Gas and Solid Minerals industry in Nigeria and abroad. It is meant to serve as a vessel for the development of indigenous manpower and technology within the petroleum sector. The petroleum industry continues to be the backbone of the Nigerian economy as well as the greatest foreign exchange earner, contributing over 90% of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings and over 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the industry depends substantially on imported technology/equipment and manpower for its activities. Consequently, in view of the strategic importance of the industry to the Nation’s economy, the development of highly skilled indigenous manpower to participate actively in the activities of the industry to redress the foreign dominance of the sector becomes imperative and, by extension, the PTDF a welcome development.
Gross abuse of the stipulated purposes of the PTDF, the misapplication and maladministration of the funds and its roles in the outright confirmation of the insensitivity of our leaders to the plight of Nigerians and development of the Nigerian economy and infrastructures is, to say the least, disappointing not to mention the manner in which the disclosure of the large scale corrupt activities of the Presidency was brought about as a tool for political vendetta.
The Senate President, Rt. Hon. Kenechukwu Nnamani, captured this mood succinctly when he commented that "We must ensure fairness, firmness, and justice to the Nigerian people", as he constituted the Senator Umar Tsauri led seven member Senate committee to carry out a comprehensive review of the controversial PTDF report earlier presented by the Victor Ndoma-Egba-led Senate committee that received a barrage of criticisms from either side of the political divide across the federation.
The National Association of Seadogs strongly urges that debates on the floor of the National Assembly on the new PTDF senate report should be televised to give Nigerians an opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of those who represent them in the Peoples’ Assembly. Any effort to coerce the Senate to abandon a televised debate of the PTDF must be resisted.
One of the pillars of any democratic governance is respect for the rule of law; the law is supreme. Attempts are however being made to justify clear breaches of the law by the Presidency. The Presidency ought to have approached the National Assembly for an amendment of the existing PTDF law should the Act need a review. Executive action should have waited for the National Assembly to perform its constitutional responsibility. Any action outside the provisions of an existing law is illegal regardless of purported reasonableness and nobleness of purpose.
NAS expresses serious concerns at the ways and manners that the President and his Vice have in their political clashes engaged in endless show of shame with accusations and counter accusations. We are however mindful of the advantage inherent in a broken alliance between the two that has brought the whole PTDF saga to the public domain.
The investigations into the PTDF matter should not be derailed rather it should be encouraged. As a people, Nigerians should be made to know that PTDF is not the only one of such funds available to the Executive arm of government, it might even be one of the very few funds with a withdrawal lid. There is need for all Nigerians to know the TRUTH, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and we support the determination of the Senate to arrive at an objective judgment.
Was there truly misappropriation of funds? Was there a misapplication of funds? Is any money missing? To what extent did any government official with either direct or oversight responsibilities at the PTDF corruptly enrich themselves? These questions need clear and unambiguous answers.
We have taken note that the Victor Ndoma-Egba-led Senate committee indicted both President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar on the management of the fund. Vice President Atiku Abubakar is accused of abusing his office by aiding and abetting the diversion of public funds in the sums of $125 million and $20 million respectively approved for specific projects to deposits in banks, some of which were fraudulently converted as loans to NDTV, Mofas Shipping Company Limited and Transvarl Services Limited. The same committee chided President Olusegun Obasanjo for approving projects outside the laws establishing the PTDF such as the establishment of African Institute of Science and Technology in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Incorporation of Galaxy Backbone Plc and, Purchase of Computers for Civil Servants under the Computer for all Nigerians Initiative (CAN!).
The PTDF report left many questions unanswered, and compromised its impartiality by appearing to ignore some pertinent questions about the President’s actions while focusing on the VP. The committee devalued its report by giving the appearance of being another weapon being used in the battle between the President and his Vice.
The emerging facts support the conclusion by the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Alhaji Kabir Mohammed and the Assistant General Manager (Finance and Administration), Mr. Areyenka Jolomi to the effect that there are gross breaches of the fund’s enabling Act. This should be investigated with vigour by the National Assembly.
The work of the new committee must continue, be completed, presented to the Senate unchanged and openly debated. The Nigeria Senate has this rare opportunity to rekindle the TRUST and HOPE of the ordinary Nigerian citizenry. We align ourselves with all those who have called for an exhaustive investigation of this sordid scandal. This is a defining moment in the defence of the rule of law and entrenchment of our democracy. The responsibility dwells solely with the Senate. The manner they handle the debates, will indicate just how far our democracy has progressed, and if, in fact, we are prepared for democracy.
As the nation goes to the poll to elect new leaders for the next political dispensation, NAS calls on the Nigerian people to be awake to the inflicted pains of the last eight years where rather than serve the people, our elected leaders opted for serving themselves in a manner that shows no respect for the plight of the electorate. The Nigerian people deserve to know what went wrong and should request for our leaders to come to justice, no matter how dirty or clean their hands are.
The nation is waiting.
Signed:
PROF. OLATUNDE MAKANJU
NAS Capone
National Association of Seadogs (NAS)
April 11, 2007
