HRAN calls for probe of Alison-Madueke

Minister Of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Alison-Madueke

HRAN says it concerned about the disappearance of over $20 billion from the accounts of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Human Rights Agenda Network, HRAN, on Monday called for an immediate and transparent probe into allegations of gross mismanagement of public funds by the Nigeria's Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

"The Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN) is appalled by the news/allegation that the Minister of Petroleum, Ms. Diezani Allison Madueke, spent N3.120 Billion to charter aircraft and another N10 Billion for maintenance and use of a challenger 850 aircraft within a span of two years," the group said in a statement signed by Chino Obiagwu, its chairman

"HRAN is also concerned about another allegation on the disappearance of over $20 billion, from the accounts of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which the Hon. Minister coordinates. HRAN calls for an in-depth, transparent probe into these allegations and for a convincing judicial and executive action to ensure that justice is done in the matter," the group added.

The group said it has noted that there has been a plethora of reports of corruption and numerous committees of enquiries that has not yielded any fruit. It said it hopes that this case will be different.

"HRAN notes with a heavy heart that the trend by public officers to amass public fund with reckless abandon and at the expense of the poor masses and dilapidated infrastructure is becoming and indeed has become a normalcy in Nigeria," HRAN said. The coalition of NGO's bemoaned the deliberate in-action of the executive to arrest the situation, the fruitless efforts of the numerous committees of enquiries to unmask the truth, the unparalleled lack of transparency on the part of the legislators to follow up these reports, and the unjust silence on the part of the judiciary to attend to these matters and do just to the cases," it said.

The group reminded the federal government of its local and international obligations to uphold the rule of law and promote good governance which implicitly means to fight corruption at every level of the government. HRAN said that while it acknowledges "this is a daunting task especially in a federal system like Nigeria, it is nevertheless possible, and will be disheartening to see the government lean its support in any form or matter to any corrupt practice or shroud allegations of such with committees or steps that is devoid of transparency".

The group said that millions of Nigerians are still living below the poverty level and majority of Nigerian women and children are still dying for lack of basic health facilities,

It urged the Federal Government to ponder over these issues especially with respect to the fact that majority of the poor/lack of infrastructure can and will be addressed if the excesses of public officers are curtailed.

"HRAN implores the Federal Government to seriously consider the dwindling confidence of Nigerians on the executive and start taking decisive steps towards tackling corruption and abuse of public funds in Nigeria which can start with the instant case," the group said.

HRAN calls for probe of Alison-Madueke.