$4bn Refinery Fund: Tinubu faces litmus test as lawyers petition EFCC on Kyari

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has travel nether unit to beryllium his anti-corruption credentials arsenic much than 500 lawyers, professionals and civilian rights activists marched to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successful Abuja connected Wednesday.

The demonstrators called for enactment connected the $4 cardinal refinery rehabilitation projects undertaken during the tenure of erstwhile Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

The protest, organised nether the Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network (CLCN), centred connected allegations of mismanagement of funds allocated to the projects. Participants demanded an autarkic forensic audit and urged the EFCC to analyse and prosecute immoderate persons recovered culpable.

The radical was led by Barrister Theophilus Ojonugwa, who addressed journalists aft submitting a petition to the anti-graft agency.

Ojonugwa described the contention arsenic a defining trial for the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption agenda.

“This is not simply a fiscal matter; it is simply a question of nationalist improvement and nationalist trust,” helium said, linking the stalled projects to Nigeria’s continued reliance connected imported petroleum products.

The Network argued that the alleged mismanagement represented missed opportunities for concern successful education, healthcare and occupation creation, which they described arsenic a ‘betrayal’ of intergenerational trust.

The petition further requested that immoderate institution oregon entity linked to the refinery projects beryllium subjected to scrutiny, portion besides calling for planetary forensic auditors to guarantee transparency.

“If $4 cardinal had been decently invested, Nigeria would beryllium self-sufficient successful refining today,” Ojonugwa stated.

The CLCN urged the EFCC to behaviour a thorough investigation, prosecute those indicted, and retrieve assets wherever possible. They appealed to President Tinubu to guarantee that the substance becomes a ‘watershed moment’ successful Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.

The radical besides called connected Nigerians to stay engaged successful demanding accountability from nationalist institutions.

“The destiny of our federation rests successful the courageousness of its people,” the Network said

The station $4bn Refinery Fund: Tinubu faces litmus trial arsenic lawyers petition EFCC connected Kyari appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.