Press statement from the presidency
President Buhari Tuesday in Abuja blamed past administrations for the current situation in which Nigeria is forced to spend billions of Naira annually on alleged subsidies for petroleum products. Speaking at a meeting with the Chairman and members of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President Buhari expressed the view that the escalation of petroleum subsidy payments over recent years was due to the deliberate neglect of the nation's refineries, oil pipelines and other related infrastructure to allow the importation of petroleum products and corruption to thrive.
The President, who restated his huge disappointment with the way Nigeria's oil industry has been run since he left office as Petroleum Minister and Military Head of State, said that he was convinced that if the development of the country's domestic refining capacity and petroleum products distribution network had kept pace with national demand, there would not have been any need for the huge subsidies currently being paid to importers. "They allowed the infrastructure to collapse so that their cronies can steal by bringing in refined products from overseas," President Buhari said.
The President urged the chairman and members of the RMAFC, who availed him of their view on the vexed issued of petroleum subsidy payments, to go "back to the drawing board" and come up with more humane proposals to rescue ordinary Nigerians from the "wicked manipulation" of the country's oil industry by corrupt operators.
President Buhari also warned that severe sanctions will be visited on any individual or organisation that violates the directive on the payment of all national revenue into the Federation Account.
The President said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other MDAs which previously relied on the laws establishing them to retain all or part of revenues collected by them, did so illegally and must now comply with the Nigerian Constitution by paying all revenues to the Federation Account.
President Buhari, who also chided the RMAFC for approving excessive remunerations for some political office holders, urged the commission to seek a proper interpretation of its powers and address the public outcry against the unreasonably high payments.
Garba Shehu
SSA to the President
(Media & Publicity)
August 25, 2015
There was commotion on Sunday at the United Methodist Church, Mafoluku, in the Oshodi area of Lagos as members of the church chased away their pasto for allegedly impregnating his housemaid. It was learnt that the pastor, Barkuma Andrew, was stopped from leading the church seven months ago when the housemaid, who was also a member of the church, Grace, had complications after aborting the pregnancy. Andrew had lived with his wife, children, wife’s cousin, Favour, and Grace in a three-bedroomed flat on the church premises before the incident. It was gathered that the members had petitioned the Central Conference of the church in Taraba State to investigate the alleged accusation. Then sought the service of another pastor three weeks ago when the district reportedly failed to probe Andrew. At 10 am on Sunday, members of the church showed up for Sunday service only to see that Andrew and some “unknown” people had commenced the service. This angered the congregation which proceeded to cha
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