14 June 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has warned that the bribe scandal currently rocking the House of Representatives probe of the fuel subsidy regime should not in any way stop the implementation of the report authored by the Farouk Lawan probe committee.
The NLC said although as weighty as the bribery allegation, it has nothing to do with the final report of the committee which contains names of indicted persons, insisting that those indicted must be properly investigated and prosecuted.
The statement by Acting President of NLC, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, titled- “Stop the Diversions: Implement the Oil Subsidy Report, Now”, read in part:: “The ongoing accusations and counter accusations between the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives on petroleum subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan and the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum, Mr. Femi Otedola over allegations of bribery involving the sum of $600,000, as serious as it is, should not be used to divert attention on the implementation of the report of the committee.
“For us, we believe that Nigerians should not be overburdened with an issue that should strictly be the burden of appropriate security agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“Whether or not the Chairman or the entire members of the Adhoc committee solicited and received gratifications to compromise the outcome of the committee’s investigations, though quite disturbing, the final report of the committee still contains names and details enough for thorough and transparent investigation.
“The report, which has been submitted to the executive arm, must be subjected to proper investigation and prosecution of all those indicted. We saw in the report a confirmation of our position.
“We have, since the mid eighties, insisted that subsidy do not exist in the petroleum sector, rather it has always been a conduit for a few cronies of successive governments with interest in the petroleum sector to siphon public funds for their private businesses.”
The statement added that criminal matters as serious as bribery should be taken seriously by the police and the r EFCC and that the matter should not be politicised “through unnecessary diversionary tactics”.
The NLC urged the EFCC to implement the report of the committee, which President Jonathan was reported to have forwarded to the agency “now.”
