Comrade Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has frowned at the graveyard silence of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led over the $2.5billion stolen crude oil as he vowed to lead a protest against the Federal Government.
The activist maintained that documents recently unearthed showed how 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s Bonny Light Crude, valued at $2.5 billion was stolen and sold in China by some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in connivance with top functionaries of the Buhari’s regime.
Frank made the assertion in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, stressing that the failure of the presidency to condemn the crime and act to bring the conspirators to book could only point to tacitly support by the federal Government.
The former APC chieftain wondered why history seemed to have repeated itself under President 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, pointing out that again, $2.8billion oil money disappeared in similar circumstances when Buhari was Federal Commissioner in charge of Petroleum under the Olusegun Obasanjo regime in 1978.
He added that now, another $2.5billion had again been allegedly stolen under the watchful eyes of Buhari as President in a democratic setting, making it seemed as if he was in support of the crime.
The activist lamented that his earlier call on President 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 was direct insult on Nigerians.
Frank vowed to mobilise both local and international mass protests against the Federal Government if it refused to act, to ensure that the crime against the Federal Republic of Nigeria perpetuated by influential members of the present regime was not swept under the carpet as usual.
Frank said, “It is almost a month since this international scandal against top officials of the present administration became public knowledge, yet no action or reaction from the Federal Government as to seeking redress and sanction against perpetrators and their collaborators.”
