Suspend Diezani, Yakubu or face massive protest, Melaye gruop tells Jonathan

Dino Melaye

By Evelyn Okakwu

Leader of the Anti-corruption Network, Hon. Dino Melaye has called
for the immediate suspension of the minister of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Company (NNPC) Diezani  Allison Maduakwe  and the group
Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr Andrew Yakubu, or face a massive
nationwide protest soon.
Speaking during a press briefing Friday, Malaye stated that the
protest which is scheduled for an unstated date in the nearest future
will be conducted by the anti-corruption Network with the
collaboration of 96 similar groups across the country.
Malaye said the suspension of the Minister was necessary, considering
the fact that she had been indicted six times by various reports
including the NIETI Report and the Senate committee report on subsidy
among others, adding that there was no justification for the continued
stay in the office of the two, considering the forensic audit that has
been authorized to investigate the said sum of $ 20 billion within the
NNPC.
"We call on the President of the federation, to immediately, in the
spirit of Sanusi's suspension suspend the minister and the group
managing director of the NNPC so that the forensic investigation can
take place without undue influence.  "We cannot have a secretive
probe; we want to know how reputable this auditing firm is".
They expressed displeasure over the statement of President Jonathan
through his special adviser on media, Dr Ruben Abati: "Abati had said
that the president had approved the forensic probe of the NNPC; but
was quick to add 'Phantom $20 Billion' if the spokes man of Mr
president is already, before investigation, referring to the said sum
as phantom, then automatically that is announcing the mindset of the
presidency on the whole issue. We therefore call on Ruben Abati to
withdraw the use of the word, Phantom or we conclude that the whole
probe exercise is a mirage and a waste of time"
Speaking further Malaye called for the immediate resignation of the
Minister of Finance Ngozi  Okonjo Eweala.  "It is laughable that the
Minister of finance who doubles as the coordinating minister of the
economy is claiming ignorance of the deduction of subsidy that has
resulted in the defrauding Nigeria.  If this is the case then she is
not fit to be the minister of finance. Yet if she is aware and has
kept quiet for three years, then she is an accomplice in the whole
thieving saga. We therefore call on the minister to resign her
appointment for gross incompetence,
Speaking also at the briefing, the director, research and
Documentation, Anti-corruption commission, Ebenezer Onyetakin noted
that the reports of the economic bleeds in Nigeria are alarming and
can only be described as destructive adding that "Not even the largest
economy of the, world, the USA and the second largest, in China can
even afford this kind of economic bleeds"
Some of the groups to join in the intended rally include the National
Youth Leadership Forum, (NYLF) the Arewa Youth Movement, (AYM) the
Middle Belt Youth Consultative Forum, (MBYCF) Center for Civic
Education, (CCE) National Association of Women Traders (NAWT) and the
National Association of Democracy, (NAD).