12th October, 2022
Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has demanded the resignation of top hierarchy of the nation’s oil management bureaucracy over the discovery of illegal pipelines connected to national oil pipeline networks in Niger Delta.
Obi, who spoke at the ICAN’s national conference in Abuja on Wednesday said it is no secret that corruption has been endemic and one of the biggest obstacles to economic progress in Nigeria.
“Corruption is the big elephant in the room. In the past few days we have seen videos of illegal pipelines connected to national oil pipeline networks, running for kilometers… where billions of dollars that should have been used for development and welfare, have been illegally siphoned away, for up to nine years, according to reports.
“What I first expected was that the hierarchy of our top oil management bureaucracy will immediately resign, because without mincing words, this is irrefutable evidence of their incompetence, if not collaboration. My administration, when we come in, will tackle this corruption head on. We will have zero tolerance for corruption,” he said.
According to Obi, the truth is that the position of accountants in the society and in public institutions is very vital in checking corruption, especially in government.
“But it is also true that the position of accountants in our society is also vital in aiding corruption in our society.
“If you look at the written financial regulations in any establishment, you will see watertight regulations of auditing, vetting, tendering, vouchering, joint signatories and other safeguards, designed to check embezzlement and corruption, yet these sharp practices and misappropriated sums continue to rise, and I understand that there is now a Nigerian record of almost N109 billion allegedly embezzled by an accountant.
“I know your profession is an honorable one, so I do not have to emphasise so much why it is important that you increase the level of peer surveillance and internal discipline among your ranks , if we cannot properly account for our finances , the country is finished, let us as accountants, do more to check and stop corruption,” he stated.