Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow former and current high-ranking officials appointed by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who are alleged to have abused their offices, to evade justice.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Frank emphasized the importance of holding accountable individuals such as former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika; former Attorney-General for the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
Other individuals mentioned include former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq; former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman; former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hammid Ali; Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamo; former Managing Directors and Sole Administrators of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); as well as former and immediate past Service Chiefs appointed by Buhari.
Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, expressed that Nigerians are well aware of how agencies under the management of these former and current government officials were operated in an opaque and corrupt manner. He stressed that the President has a duty to demand accountability on behalf of the people.
While commending the suspension and arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AbdulRasheed Bawa, which have been welcomed by Nigerians, Frank asserted that this is just the beginning, and the President should not let the fight against corruption end with these two individuals.
Frank urged for the investigation and prosecution of those who are still at large, emphasizing that they need to be apprehended and made to face the law for their economic sabotage. He expressed concerns that some individuals are attempting to secure a soft landing or seek appointments in the administration through lobbying efforts.
The former officials, according to Frank, must answer questions regarding alleged identity scandals, the sale of oil blocks, marginal oil fields, refineries, and the whereabouts of Air Nigeria, among other issues. He also called for the probe to extend to former Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, covering the tenure of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, up to the recently retired officials under the President’s administration.
Frank cautioned Tinubu to be cautious of former governors, particularly those from the PDP who now claim to support his administration. He advised Tinubu not to turn his administration into a dumping ground for known corrupt individuals.
He assured that Nigerians, despite the ongoing presidential election petitions at the tribunal to determine the true outcome of the previous presidential election, would commend Tinubu if he performs well and hold him accountable if he deviates from the right path.