N5 Billion NLNG Fund: Group expose Oshiomhole, APC lies

N5 Billion NLNG Fund: Group expose Oshiomhole, APC lies

Hon. Clem Aguiyi, the National Coordinator of Move on Nigeria has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State of deliberately misleading the public on issues surrounding the NLNG Fund.

Hon. Aguiyi vowed that his group, Move on Nigeria, a socio- political and civic action group supporting democracy and good governance will continue to expose APC lies no matter how many times such lies are repeated because the public deserves to know the truth. He warned that APC will soon lie its way into trouble with Nigerians except it learn to respect facts.

Truth is sacred and no one can lie to the people all the time without being caught one day. The ‘Change’ we need now is for the ruling party to change from minting and spreading outright falsehood to saying the truth’, he said. 

In a release issued to journalist yesterday in Abuja, Aguiyi said the truth which is verifiable is that the NLNG had been on a 10-year tax haven until 2014. Within the period, successive governments, right from President Olusegun Obasanjo down to President Jonathan neither shared nor tampered with the cumulative dividends.

Whatever taxes paid from the NLNG go through the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and recorded as part of the income of the Federal Government. It is imperative to note that by the end of the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, NLNG dividends had risen to accumulative $5.6 billion and not a single cent was ever taken from the funds in the entire six years of the Jonathan’s administration.

He challenged the ruling party to present contrary evidence that NLNG was not on tax holiday until 2014, any evidence that either of the regimes of Obasanjo or Yar'adua tampered or shared revenues accumulating from NLNG Taxes or proof that the Jonathan’s administration removed a dime from $5.6bn that accumulated during the life of the regime.

It is rather unfortunate that our highly revered president is allowing himself to be drawn into such misinformation because he would have been properly briefed assuming he has his economic advisers and cabinet in place as they would have rightly briefed him rather than exposing himself to mischief of some individuals who are bent on distracting the public from probing into their own massive corruption.

Imagine governors who spent public funds on lavish parties, borrowed beyond their capacities, squandered capital and security votes while also embezzling pensions fund and workers salary talking ignorantly of subjects they knew little or nothing about.

While it is within the right of APC led Federal Government to deplete the treasury without considerable thought as part of their Change agenda, Hon. Aguiyi said it is wicked and uncharitable for them to maliciously demonize and criminalize the former administration that save and left the funds intact for ‘rainy day’ and for the attendant future investments and financial obligations of Nigeria in the NLNG project.

According to Hon Aguiyi ‘It is a long time since President Buhari first left office as Military Head of State. Nigeria and the world has transformed a lot since then and it is possible the man is confused of what foot to put forward , hence he need good brains and good hands’ instead of working alone and leading the nation to no-where in particular. I will encourage APC to persuade the President to appoint his cabinet so as to avail himself with expert advises on various issues’ he quipped.

-Elombah