LUKMAN REASSURES ON NNPC’S MISSING FUEL

Lukman reassures on NNPC's missing fuel
By Elizabeth Archibong
March 12, 2010 04:20AM
Barely three months after Rilwanu Lukman, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, promised to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the probe of a missing 90 million litres of petrol belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the minister assured Nigerians yesterday that there is no reason to assume that the issue has been dropped.

While fielding questions from journalists, after leading a delegation of Japanese businessmen to Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, Mr. Lukman denied any complicity in the disappearance of the cargo.

In December 2009, the NNPC had raised an alarm that 90 million litres of its product, supplied through a third party, could not be traced and the minister had pledged to get to the root of the matter.

“Who has been compromised? Who has been settled? You want me to know? If you are saying people have been settled, you are making an accusation. Why don't you say who has been settled, and how they have been settled? Who did they give the money to? If you have the information, go and tell it to the police. This would be a very useful information to the police or the EFCC and why are you telling me?” Mr. Lukman countered.

Left to law
Mr. Lukman, who was challenged by journalists to confirm allegations that the promised probe is going nowhere, said law enforcement officials are already on the matter.

“I am in-charge. My responsibility is to ensure that this error is corrected and the loss which NNPC has incurred is restored. And the law enforcement agencies have been handed the matter. It is up to them to find out what happened, and if there is any criminality or wrongdoing. It is left for them to follow it up and deal with it.”