N2trn Stolen from Oil Sector, Saraki Alleges, Says Nigeria is Broke

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki yesterday said the country was broke as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has contributed nothing to the federation accounting (FAAC) in the last few months.

The former governor of Kwara State further revealed that up to 70 million litres of fuel are stolen daily, alleging further that the country loses about $2 billion annually to fuel subsidy scam.

He, however, pledged to bring the era of oil theft and corruption in the oil sector to an end if he makes it to the number one position in the country.

Saraki said this yesterday in Abuja, when he met with members of PDP Board of Trustees as part of his consultative meeting to get the endorsement of some of the organs of the party to key into his Presidential ambition.

He said, “The economy is weak; the country is broke. I am not exaggerating.

“As of today, NNPC does not contribute anything to Federation Account and 70 per cent of our oil is being stolen, it has never been like this before. I am saying this because I know and you know it is worse than you can imagine because there are some of us that have an idea of how bad the situation is.

“I cannot be a president and I will be having the kind of theft that is going on in the Niger Delta, depriving the country of hundreds of millions of dollars. Today we are losing $3.5 billion because of the oil theft happening.

“When I was a Senator, I raised a motion, the motion cost me because after I raised the motion I was invited to EFCC, but I still fought for what I stood for, that what we’re spending on fuel subsidy is fake.

“I raised a motion that we’re consuming 30 million litres a day. After I raised it, it came down to 25 million litres. By my action we saved $500 million for this country. Today, they are stealing 70 million litres per day. The day, by your grace I’m elected president, that will stop in this country. We will save over N2 trillion.”

He added: “Do you know what N2 trillion will do for our schools, our education and our health? This is a time for us to find somebody that has what it takes to lead this country.”

The presidential hopeful said the country was sharply divided and needed a unifier that would navigate it beyond ethnic, religious boundaries. He said the next president must be able to stand between the young and the old, the business community and the government sector, a quality he claims to possess in abundance.

“Today, the kind of president we need is a president that understands these issues. If the president does not understand the issues as we have seen, he cannot provide leadership.

“This is a fact. If the president doesn’t understand the issues he cannot provide leadership. You cannot lead what you don’t know, it leads to confusion.

“The advisors become the president. The aides become the president. The person you put there is not the person who is leading the country.

“The kind of president we need today must be a president that can unite. There is pain in the land, there is division in the land. You cannot unite if you don’t have the characteristics or the qualities to unite people. You cannot acquire it overnight. You must have the skill to unite.”