Payment of N20bn to ghost consultant: NYCN withdraws call on NNPC GCEO to allow unrestricted probe

 

By Sani Idris

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has withdrew its earlier call on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC)Mr. Kolo Mele Kyari to step aside to allow an unrestricted probe into the allegations of payment of N20bn to ghost contractors and manipulation of the subsidy regime.

Newsmen reports that NYCN, on April 10, made a call through various medium, alleging that the GCEO of NNPC was stepping on the track of House of Representatives inorder not to allow probe of payment of N20bn to ghost consultant.

Cmrd. Isah Abubakar, President of the NYCN, made retraction of the earlier report in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Kaduna.

He explained that the NYCN notice was drawn to the the House of Representatives intention to rely on an American fugitive, Marcos Ramirez who was declared wanted by the Interpol and US Security agencies as a principal witness in the investigation of the allegation of illegal sales of over 40 million barrels of crude by the NNPCL and other probes into the activities of the company.

He also noted that It was on record that the smuggled product that were intercepted in China took place long before Kyari assumed the leadership of the NNPC and later NNPCL.

“The same character was slammed with $250,000 bail by Lagos High Court over the Green Card scam. His Mexican associate, Jose Salazar Tinajero, has been in and out of jail in South America due to the involvement of his company, SAMANO, in highly sophisticated smuggling and money laundering scams.

“Same SAMANO Company is the one some of his associate want Nigeria to pay whistleblower reward into their account.

“Nigerians have witness numerous investigations by the National Assembly, many of which never produce anything substantial, rather, the case of now convicted Lawan Farouk during the famous probes shows that most of the activities lower chamber of the National Assembly is geared to self gains. This recent frivolous allegation, inclusive,”Abubakar said.

 

He noted that with the lifespan of the 9th Assembly coming to an end in less than 60 days, they will continue to expect half-truth information emanating from them aimed at the blackmailing head of agencies to extract financial gains.

“At this critical time in our national history, we expect all Nigerians to rally around the federal government and ensure that we have a peaceful transition so that the next government will start on a clean slate not setting up turbulent ground for them to fail,”.

 

Abubakar restated the NYCN’s committment in its fight for just Nigeria where the country would work for everyone.

“We won’t allow ourselves to be dragged into a selfish fight of people who might have lost election and are therefore looking for gratuity from Federal Government Agencies in the name of probes.

“With the recent declaration of profit by the NNPCL and commitment to construct several roads worth over 1.5trillion Naira from tax relief by the company which is unprecedented in our national history, Mele Kyari-led NNPCL deserves commendations not condemnation from Nigerians.

“Our group shall keep the Interpol updated on when Marco will appear before the National Assembly to give his testimony so that he can be picked up to answer questions that borders on his indictment in a case filed on March 29, 2016, before the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas named Mr Ramirez and his wife, Bebe Ramirez of being behind a fraud syndicate that swindled people of millions of dollars through various mail and wire fraud schemes between 2010 and 2013,”Abubakar said.

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