$2.5m Stolen Crude Oil: Future Generations Will Not Forgive Buhari -Timi Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank has described the graveyard silence of the President, General Muhammadu Buhari-led regime’s silence over the $2.5billion stolen crude oil as evidence of complicity.

Frank who made the assertion in a statement made available to Naija news berated the failure of the presidency to condemn the heinous crime and act to bring the conspirators to book can only point to tacit support by the Federal Government.

He wondered why history seems to have repeated itself under General Buhari as Minister of Petroleum Resources in the last five years.

He recalled the missing “53 suitcases” saga in 1984 when Buhari was Military Head of State. Again, $2.8billion oil money disappeared in similar circumstances when Buhari was a federal commissioner in charge of Petroleum under the Olusegun Obasanjo regime in 1978.

He added that now another $2.5billion has again been allegedly stolen under the watchful eyes of Buhari as President in a democratic setting, “making it seems as if he has a penchant for missing money whenever he is in charge.”

The activist lamented that his earlier call on General Buhari to sack, arrest and prosecute government officials responsible for the reprehensible act fell on deaf ears.

He insisted that the silence of Buhari and the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, over the international embarrassment is a direct insult on Nigerians.

Frank vowed to mobilize both local and international mass protests against the federal government if it refuses to act, to ensure that “this crime against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, perpetuated by influential members of the present regime is not swept under the carpet as usual.”

it is appalling to note that the Federal Government recently borrowed $3.4billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), yet it appears to see nothing wrong with a few officials pocketing $2.5 billion stolen oil cash.”

“I dare say that Nigerians and future generations will not forgive Buhari and his cabal, if the humongous amount involved in this open plunder is allowed to go without lawful investigation, arrest, prosecution and appropriate punishment served on the perpetrators and their collaborators – including the full recovery of the amount now cooling in the pockets of few fraudulent officials.

He, however, called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), other labour unions and prominent Civil Society Organisations to speak up against what he described as looting of public treasury in the country.