Oscarline Onwuemenyi
31 January 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Trade Union Congress has called on the security agencies to prosecute more people indicted in the diversion of the oil subsidy funds.
TUC’s noted in a statement signed by its President and Secretary General, Messrs Bobboi Kaigama and Musa-Lawal Ozigi, respectively, and made available to our correspondent in Abuja, that it was painful that a few Nigerians would milk the nation’s economy while a majority of the citizenry languished in pain.
The labour leaders hailed the judgment of a Lagos High Court delivered by Justice Lateefa Okunnu which sentenced the CEO and Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Walter Wagbatsoma and Mrs. Adaoha Ugo-Nnadi, respectively, to 10 years in prison, both of who were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N754m in subsidy funds.
Kaigama and Musa-Lawal also commended the Federal High Court, Abuja, for ordering the temporary forfeiture of OPL 245 to the Federal Government until the conclusion of the trial of the suspects.
“These are good signs of our speedy recovery if we faint not and we urge the anti-graft agencies to investigate other people involved in the subsidy fraud, other financial crimes and bring them to book.
“It hurts that while Nigerians are groaning and asking for the basic things like food, infrastructure, job, etc. some greedy Nigerians under the guise of oil marketers are milking the country dry,” the statement read in part.
The Labour leaders also called on the government to force those indicted in the diversion of the subsidy funds to pay interest on the funds which they diverted.
They added that the economy was on its knees because government agencies entrusted with the responsibility of fighting corruption were not carrying out their responsibilities.
The TUC’s leaders who said that the congress was expecting more of such actions from the government stressed that ‘enough is enough.’
“No stone should be left unturned in the fight against corruption. Nigerians are asking for justice. Yes, the blood and families of citizens who have died in car accidents as a result of roads that were left undone and pregnant mothers who lost their lives due to lack of good medical facilities are crying for justice.
“These monies could have to some extent helped to build infrastructure, create jobs, reposition the economy. We are truly happy about this development and hope to see more of it. It just can’t be business as usual,” they labour leaders added
