For the purpose of clarity and avoidance of any form of jaundiced narratives from the court of public opinion, a fresh situation has patently presented itself for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to wield his statutory capacity in the fight against graft, just as the probe of multi-million-dollar investments done by the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is now generating serious heat in the polity.

Mr. President had arguably proved his critics wrong recently when he ordered the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Chimaobim Edu, over what is gradually turning out to be a prologue to the endemic corruption in a ministry that was established by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019 to provide succour to the vulnerable caught in the web of insecurity and cascading poverty.

Despite this notable feat in his disdain for graft, expectations are still that President Tinubu should not rest on his oars but to significantly increase his push to rid the country of malfeasance and economic saboteurs who want no good for the critical mass of the vulnerable segments of the country.

Thankfully, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, a former member of House of Representatives has petitioned the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enable them probe the multi-million-dollar investments allegedly carried out by the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) where due process was allegedly flagrantly defied. Even the House of Representatives is looking into the matter.

Sunny-Goli, who represented Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency in the 9th Assembly, on Thursday called for a ‘thorough investigation and possible prosecution as it relates to the disbursement of funds for the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Limited, the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited as well as the Brass Petroleum Product Terminal Limited.

The former lawmaker said all the projects are situated within the precinct of Brass Local Council and that the investments were undertaken during the tenure of the immediate past board of NCDMB.

According to him, NCDMB’s total equity of $200 million was contributed for the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Limited project which was conceived to establish two trains of 5,000MTPD methanol plants and one train of 500Mscf per day processing plant and associated infrastructure to be sited in Odioma, Brass Island Bayelsa State.

For the Atlantic Refinery project, he disclosed that full investment of $35 million was made for the project which was expected to be a 2,000bpd modular refinery with a jetty facility and a 2MW power plant and a duration of 24 months completion at the Brass Free Trade zone (FTZ).

Sunny-Goli stated further in his petition that also included for probe is the Brass Petroleum Product Terminal Limited which NCDMB’s investment was for the establishment of a 50 million-litre facility with a two-way product jetty, automated storage tanks and loading bay in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He expressed sadness that the current state of the three projects was nothing to write home about as it is now surrounded by uncertainty and a sense of gloom.

Sunny-Goli pointed out that the projects are well-meaning and could have provided jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and increased the revenue of government.

The petition added, “To ensure that our great nation is not shortchanged, and our teeming unemployed youths denied gainful employment opportunities in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, I hereby request that your commission immediately institute a thorough investigation into the projects listed above and prosecute without delay anyone found culpable in the event of misappropriation of funds.

Apart from Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, the House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, led by Chairman, Boma Goodhead, has equally swung into action to consolidate their resolve in an era where accountability and transparency are paramount.

Regrettably, troubling revelations are being made as well as exposing NCDMB’s alleged web of corruption and misuse of authority. Central to these revelations is the discovery of over $300 million disbursement of public funds to private companies under the guise of asset acquisition loans and loan financing and several moribund equity financing and investments.

Let nobody make a mistake to think that the battle against fraud will turn out to be a walk in the park. Without citizenry support, backed by a strong institutional framework, realising the dream of overcoming the strong walls of corruption overshadowing our growth shall continue to be a mirage.

President Tinubu might not have been seen declaring an open war against corruption like his predecessor in 2015, but he has not left anyone in doubt that the days of swindling our common patrimony are over. It is for critical stakeholders in the Nigerian democracy to support the current administration to disarm corrupt elements from further inflicting harm on efforts to salvage what is left of the nation.

President Tinubu must, therefore, spare no one involved in this NCDMB’s alleged corporate and accounting scandal so that the generality of Nigerians could have a breather. This will equally reinvigorate the war against graft as enshrined in the renewed hope agenda of his government. Similarly, it will as well serve as a deterrent to others, bearing in mind that it is no longer business as usual as the new sheriff in town is an iconic brand for probity, transparency, and answerability. May God bless Nigeria.

Those making clarion calls to President Tinubu to investigate and open an independent probe into the alleged looting of the public treasury by successive administrations in order to help salvage the national economy should no doubt be commended for their patriotism and love for the nation.

It is with deep trepidation that the news from the nation’s corridors of power that successive past administrations have looted our national patrimony to the precipice of bankruptcy and financial insolvency Truly, the pervasive culture of brazen looting of the public treasury by elected, appointed office holders, civil servants and coteries of cronies has gone beyond the purview of grand larceny, statutory corruption to the realm of pure economic sabotage.

It is high time Mr President put on his armour and fight and defeat graft, summon requisite, political will, constitutional latitude as well as social rectitude to apprehend all persons found complicit in illicit cornering of the nation’s scarce, collective resources, without any golden treatment of any politically exposed sacred cow.
Suleiman is a policy analyst based in Lagos