Comrade Timi Frank, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary for the All Progressives Congress (APC), begged President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday not to allow former and current top officials chosen by former President Muhammadu Buhari to evade prosecution. They are said to have misused their positions.
Frank, who made the call, named former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, former Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, former Attorney-General for the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, and the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company in a statement released in Abuja.
Others include Col. Hammid Ali, former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, who has been appointed Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Coordination, and Bashir Ja, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
“Nigerians know how agencies managed or still being managed by these former and present government officials were run in the most secretive and corrupt way,” said Frank, who serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua’s (ULMWP) ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East. On behalf of the people, the President has no choice but to demand accountability.
“The suspension and arrest of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AbdulRasheed Bawa, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, have received praise from Nigerians, but this is only the beginning. The President must not let his anti-corruption drive end with these two people.
“Those that must be investigated and prosecuted are still running free out there and the earlier they are rounded up and made to face the law for economic sabotage, the better for this country. Besides, some have already found their way into the present administration like Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman.
“There is further intelligence that others like her are currently lobbying cabal around Tinubu to get a soft landing or better still find their way into the administration by way of appointment.”
Frank, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, insisted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would be exposed if it failed to apprehend and prosecute the suspects who are known to have used their positions for personal gain. These suspects include Emefiele and Bawa, who the DSS is currently holding.
He argued that former officials like Sylva must respond to inquiries on alleged identity theft, the sale of oil blocks, unprofitable oil fields, and underperforming refineries. Siriki needs to inform Nigerians about the location of Air Nigeria and the enormous sums of money that have been spent on it thus far.
Sadiya Umar Farouq must explain to the DSS and EFCC how funds designated for social investment schemes, particularly school food, were used.
He encouraged the EFCC and DSS to broaden the scope of their investigations to include past Service Chiefs and Inspector Generals of Police, from the late Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the former Chief of Army Staff, to those who recently retired during the current administration of the President.
In addition, he cautioned Tinubu against previous governors, particularly those from the PDP, who now pose as allies of his administration.
He characterised their motivation as self-centred and admonished Tinubu not to let his administration serve as a holding area for known corrupt individuals.
He asserted that Nigerians would applaud Tinubu if he performed well and criticise him if he made mistakes, although the presidential election petitions before the tribunal are still pending and will reveal the genuine outcome of the most recent presidential election.
