OUR OPINION: THE PETROLEUM REVENUE TASK FORCE. WHO GOT IT WRONG? RIBADU OR OROSANYE?

It is so unfortunate, that the January subsidy saga could come to this point. The Petroleum Revenue Task Force (18-man committee)  headed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu officially submitted her  report before the Federal Executive Council last week. And right before the entire house including the President, brouhaha broke out among the 18-man committee on the validation and authenticity of the report. Mr Steve Orosanye made an open challenge against the submitted report, that, some petroleum agencies such as DPR, PPPRA etc were not carried along and some records were not thoroughly verified which made the report incomplete. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu also responded in return that, Mr Steve Orosanye did not even participate in the project as it was expected. That, Oronsanye had some stakes in NNPC in one form or the other. If true,
why was he allowed to be part of the committee in the first place? Were all the committee members not in the right spirit before embarking on this project? Didn’t they have the last meeting together before they went to the printer? Why didn’t this disagreement end in the closet?

Steve Oronsaye and those on his side, who were supposed to defend their report, gave the impression that Nuhu Ribadu single-handedly did the job that was assigned to them and produced a unilateral report. I don’t know how that could be possible and yet no complaint was lodged over a period of eleven months while the report was being put together. Everybody kept quiet. Several others on the government side especially Mr Doyin Okupe also ridiculed Ribadu and his report. 

It is a shame.Who did not do a thorough job? Is there any saboteur somewhere? This brings us to more questions? Was there a foul play in the report?  It was reported that the members were meant to sit for 10 months but they could only sit for just 5 months. Was there a rush or pressure somewhere? It was also reported that only two members signed the report instead of the 18members. Why two? Is corruption fighting back in one way or the other? Did Ribadu deliberately leave the necessary agencies that were supposed to be part of the findings behind or they were not just available for him when he came in calling? Who is right or wrong?  Ribadu or Orosanye? 

We are not here to take a side. But the fact remains that emotions and sentiments do not win case in any law court in the world. This is why we must be objective and factual in all our findings. There is no doubt that the system is corrupt. And corruption will always find any loop hole to fight back.  And the fight will be dirty. We saw it in Farouk Lawan’s subsidy saga. We must not allow this report to be knocked out on technical grounds in any law court as it was done in the case of some looters in the past like James Ibori if there is any perceived one already. This is because; we cannot operate as judges in our own case. This is why the committee must make sure no stone is left unturned and every allegation must be proven beyond every reasonable doubt. All those alleged will be getting their lawyers ready by now to challenge any allegation by taking advantage of any loophole. If there is any need to have Mr Steve Oronsanye’s report, let us do. Then we can compare and contrast. The committee must sit again and get those agencies on ground in order to have a complete and thorough job. The Presidency must be sincere in the work and allow all stakeholders to work without any interference.

The Guardian Newspaper on November 6^TH 2012 is a proof to this. NLNG publicly tagged the report “inaccurate” even before it was officially submitted to the presidency. We cannot afford the tax payers money to go down this way. We must not serve into the hands of looters. God bless Nigeria. Please share with loved ones. Thanks.

Tunde Adenuga