MR. FEMI FALANA CALLS FOR A PROBE INTO THE ALLEGED HUMONGOUS FRAUD THAT HAS CHARACTERISED THE PETROL BUSINESS 03-09-24
By Sadiq Aminu A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana has called for a probe into the alleged humongous fraud that has characterised the petrol bussiness in the country over the years.
Mr. Falana made the call in Abuja at the ongoing international anti corruption and climate change conference organised by an NGO, HEDA Resource Centre in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation.
The senior advocate who expressed dissapointment that the fraud in the industry has left the nation in comatose also urged anti corruption agencies to monitor the implementation of the local government financial autonomy recently upheld by the supreme court.
The co-founder of a London based NGO, Hawkmoth, Mr. Simon Taylor advocated for a strategic framework and the political will amonst the Nigerian elite to deal with the issues of climate change, energy transition and corruption.
In a presentation, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commision, EFCC Mr. Ola Olukoyede announced that the agency has set up a special task force to combat illegal mining and has launched investigations into the alleged fraud in the thirteen percent derivation fund expenditure of over one trillion naira in a state in the Niger Delta.
The convener and Founder of HEDA Resouce Centre, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju said the time had come for Nigeria to move away from focusing on resource extraction without commensurate benefits to that citizens and the nation.
Mr. Suraju said that HEDA had in the last twenty years been advocating for social justice in the area of anti corruption,
environmental and climate justice, food security and would continue to champion the strugle across Nigeria.