32b fuel subsidy, biggest fraud in Nigeria – Saraki

 
The former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, on Monday described the payment of $32 billion by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as fuel subsidy as the biggest fraud in Nigeria.

Saraki explained that the fuel subsidy is the platform for fraud in form of huge racket being used by oil marketers and government officials to rip off the national treasury on yearly basis.
Saraki, who stated this while briefing newsmen, blamed Jonathan’s administration for allegedly legalising the fraud in oil sector through issuance of import licenses to very bogus number of companies totaling 82 now, with many of them not having the required facilities for such very sensitive national economy assignment with attendant collection of $2 billion on yearly basis for products largely not supplied.
However, Saraki urged the Federal Government to take the bull by the horn by completely removing the fuel subsidy and restoring normalcy to the sector.
He argued that it would be better to remove the fuel subsidy and deliver the sector and the citizenry from the grip of racketeers in the industry, who would never allow things to work well because of their personal aggrandisement.
According to him, subsidy in itself was never a problem to the country but the bad management of the subsidy, which he said had been turned into a huge racket that created the lingering crisis in the oil sector.
He said: “No matter what is happening now, if you go back to look at it, the major issue that dwindled us was the subsidy management.
“We are talking of about minimum of over $32 billion wasted on it over the last five to six years.
“That is the difference between where we are now and that time.
“It has impacted on our exchange rate, it is going to impact on our infrastructure, there is no money for capital budget.”
On his political ambition to become Senate president, Saraki stated that he had observed with dismay that Nigerians were not receiving the needed services from their elected representatives in the last many years of democratic governance in the country because leaders usually emerged through ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments rather than on the basis of qualification and competence.
He noted that the electorate had been complaining that they were not feeling the impact of the National Assembly because many things were not done right, stressing that Nigerians should de-emphasize sentiments and go for those who could deliver the desired dividends of democracy to the people.
The former Governor of Kwara State also noted that the All Progressives Congress won the last general elections because the people were tired of the old retrogressive way of doing things and resolved to vote for change in order to usher in new and better ways of running public affairs to yield the desired result.
He said: “”We need to review the way we have been doing things and start doing things right.
“I will ensure that the Senate makes impact on the lives of the people.
“The people are not feeling the impact of the parliament and they are asking what their elected representatives are doing there.
“I will provide quality direction on how to run the affairs of the country.
“We have to give Nigerians value for their money.
“The Senate must have a national agenda that will effectively address the multifarious problems confronting this country at the moment.
“Nigerians voted for APC for change so that things can be done differently.
“We need to allow internal democracy to take place in electing the leadership of the next Assembly so that people can elect their choice candidates without interference.
“Let us not base choice of leadership on sentiment.
“The PDP lost because Nigerians were tired of the failure in the system.”