Consumers Want Fuel Subsidy Beneficiaries Prosecuted

Consumers in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, have urged the Federal Government to prosecute all companies and individuals that were exposed last week as beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy scheme as a away of demonstrating its commitment to fighting corruption in the country.

The Joint Senate Committee investigating the fuel subsidy scheme last week named about 60 companies that have benefited from the fuel subsidy scam.

Some of them are Oando Nigeria Plc, N228.506 billion; MRS, N224.818 billion; Enak Oil & Gas, N19.684 billion; Con Oil, N37.960 billion; Bovas & Co. Nig. Ltd, N5.685 billion; Obat, N85 billion and AP; N104.5billion.

Also listed are Folawiyo Oil, N113.3billion; IPMAN Investment Limited, N10.9billion; ACON, N24.1billion; Atio Oil, N64.4billion; AMP, N11.4billion; Honeywell, N12.2billion; Emac Oil, N19.2billion; D.Jones Oil, N14.8billion; Capital Oil, N22.4billion; AZ Oil, N18.613billion, Eternal Oil, N5.57 billion; Dozil Oil, N3.375 billion and Fort Oil, N8.582 billion,

Speaking with Consumers Advocate, Mrs Kate Asuquo, a business woman said it is not enough for government to name those that have defrauded the country through fuel subsidy. According to her, they should be prosecuted because their action is an act of sabotage.

“Personally, I think it is not enough for the Joint Senate Committee to list the companies that have defrauded this nation through oil subsidy. The committee should take a further step by prosecuting them. They have systematically defrauded the Nigerian people and they should pay for it. If our government is truly serious about fighting corruption, then they should demonstrate it by trying these companies for sabotage,” she said.

Dada Adewale, a commercial motorcycle rider lamented that some few companies could subject the entire country to hardship.

He said, “All those companies that have been named in this subsidy fraud are nothing but fraudulent companies. Imagine that all these years, they have been benefiting from the subsidy on fuel while the masses continue to suffer. They should all be sent to jail for crime against the Nigerian people”

Godswill Obi, a teacher in a private secondary school said: ” I know the kind of country we live in and I can tell you that nothing will be done against those companies. Just watch and see that after awhile, the issue will die and we will continue to suffer. What I think the government can do now is to stop the planned removal of oil subsidy, punish those companies that have been found wanting and block all avenue that these companies use to manipulate the subsidy on fuel”

He also added that government should demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption by prosecuting beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy scheme, as economic saboteurs. Mr. Obi noted that the gesture will serve as deterrent to others.

Prof. Tom David -West, former Petroleum Resources Minister, in a recent comment tasked government not to allow all those involved in the economic sabotage to go scot free.

“They must be made to forfeit at least 50 percent of their loot; they must be compelled to rehabilitate the refineries they killed and face prosecution. It is not just about making their identities public, no, we must go beyond that,” he said.