This Looting Must Stop, Bishop Onaiyekan Tells Jonathan…As Gov Aliyu Accuses FG Of Lack Of Transparency In Oil Earnings

Outspoken catholic priest, Cardinal John Onaiyekan  has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to put an end to the on-going looting of the nation’s resources under his administration by showing some commitment to the fight against corruption.

He gave the charge today in Abuja at the Leadership Newspaper’s annual lecture and awards ceremony where Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu also accused the Jonathan administration of lack of transparency in the nation’s oil earnings.

In his contribution at the lecture, Onaiyekan said “Two of the obstacles before us which we must resolutely confront are corruption and insecurity. When we talk about corruption, I’m not talking about small bribes, but big, legal and official corruption in high places.

“We are hearing of billions of dollars being stolen. The people of Nigeria are being deprived of their belongings. It is not longer a rumour that out monies are being stolen. This stealing must stop. No more cover up or pretence. Stolen resources must be recovered and put back in the places where they’ve been taken from. We should pardon our thieves, but they must return the loot.”

In his remarks as the guest lecturer at the event, Governor Aliyu accused the federal government of failure to provide accurate data on the country’s daily crude oil production, sales and revenue.

His words: “Despite enormous resources generated from the oil sector, no accurate data is available to present daily production of crude in the country. This has led to corruption and negative twist in the economic fortunes of the country as only few who control the monopoly siphon our commonwealth.”

He added that “the exact figures are only known to the people involved as transparency is limited. Instead of economic gains for the ordinary Nigerians, crude oil discovery in Nigeria appears to be more of a problem as it has killed agriculture which was the main stay of our economy.”

In his brief remarks, former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu said ”Let’s go back to our first national anthem we had at independence. All we are talking about is to serve the nation. Let’s make the effort to go back to that national anthem. Let’s sing it from the heart and not from the tone.”