PDP SHOULD TENDER APOLOGY TO NIGERIANS AND LET JUSTICE BE DONE

PRESS STATEMENT PDP SHOULD TENDER APOLOGY TO NIGERIANS AND LET JUSTICE BE DONE Rather than insulting the intelligence of Nigerians, the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} should tender unreserved apology to Nigerians over the embarrassing, despicable and unconscionable handling of the Fuel Subsidy Financial Profile between 2006 and 2011. We also call on judges handling the Fuel Subsidy Scam to let justice be done. Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} was outraged over the puerile statement and lame excuse emanating from the National Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Dr Sam Jaja to the effect that, ‘On the issue of some of PDP members in the Oil Subsidy Scam, these are individuals and everybody will bear his or her cross. PDP did not send anybody to go and misbehave.’ We regard the statement as crass insult to the intelligence of Nigerians; for a patriotic political party whose body and soul is polluted by conspiracy and conflict of interest could have hid its head in shame, show sense of remorse, reflect and tender unreserved apology to Nigerians who gave them the mandate to preside over their commonwealth, instead of lame excuse. The lame excuse shows that PDP cannot change. No matter how long PDP perches on its high horse, Nigerians cannot easily forget that the criminal looting and bazaar which took place in the Petroleum Support Fund {PSF} of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency {PPPRA} commenced with the appointment of its former chairman, Dr Ahmadu Ali as chairman of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency. The subsidy scam recklessly rose from –N261 billion in December 2006 – to almost N3 trillion in December 2011. Dr Ali expanded the importers of petroleum products from less than 40 to over 140 importers. It became an all comers’ game with all manner of fronts and the minimum conditions like ownership of storage facility was discarded. Is not PDP and the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who sent Dr Ahamdu Ali to chair the PPPRA? It is on record that PDP led Federal Government of Nigeria first appointed Dr Ali as Ambassador to South Africa, and he vehemently rejected it, complaining that there is nothing there, then PDP without reference to his past posted him to convert the PSF into a slush fund. For converting the PSF of PPPRA into slush fund, PDP cannot absolve itself of conspiracy and conflict of interest in the Fuel Subsidy Scam. And for the children of leaders of PDP to be indicted by Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Subsidy Payment PDP should start packing for 2015 elections. Moreso, when reports coming-in indicate that some of the stolen Fuel Subsidy Fund was used to fund the 2011 elections; we wait for the opening of the Ponderous Box as the trial unfolds. Finally, we urge the judiciary to be stead-fast, stand up and be counted in serving the course of justice in the trial of the Fuel Subsidy Scam; for the money fleeced off by members, supporters and affiliates of the PDP in the subsidy scam contributed to gross unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure and decay of social services. The stolen fund is more than enough to build two refineries of 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Osita Okechukwu National Publicity Secretary CNPP