The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed outrage, anger, and serious concerns over what it described as “national embarrassment” over the staggering failure of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies and political leadership to take action on the monumental waste and alleged corruption that engulfed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The rights group specifically stressed that the latest move by the NNPC Ltd to enter yet another agreement with foreign partners is “a suspicious recycling of failed strategies,” insisting that without accountability, no reform can succeed.
HURIWA stated that it is a massive national shame that despite the over $2.4 billion reportedly sunk into the so-called Turnaround Maintenance of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, there no tangible result to justify such colossal expenditure.
It expressed concerns that surprisingly, those responsible walk free, not investigated, and or prosecuted.
HURIWA in a statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator, pointedly condemned what it describes as the disgraceful inertia of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), which have failed woefully in their statutory duties to arrest, investigate, and prosecute those indicted in the apparent economic sabotage.
The rights group said; “What exactly are the EFCC and ICPC waiting for? Must Nigerians continue to tolerate impunity of this scale? Even more disturbing, the National Assembly has turned what should be a serious probe into a political charade designed to generate campaign slush funds rather than deliver justice.
“Otherwise, how do we explain the endless hearings without consequences? Why has no single high-profile conviction emerged from these investigations?” it asked.
HURIWA also stated the need to hold President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accountable for what it described as a “deafening silence and unacceptable inaction” in the face of what it termed one of the most brazen financial scandals in Nigeria’s recent history.
According to HURIWA; “This administration cannot continue to look the other way while public wealth is looted in broad daylight. The President must act—decisively and immediately—or risk being seen as complicit.
“Posterity will judge this National Assembly harshly for what appears to be a dangerous connivance with corrupt elements within the NNPC to drain public resources meant for national development,” it said.
HURIWA therefore demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of all officials linked to the failed refinery rehabilitation projects, a transparent forensic audit of all funds spent on refinery maintenance, public disclosure of all contracts, contractors, and payment structures, an overhaul of anti-corruption agencies for failure to act and an end to what it termed “legislative theatrics” in place of real accountability.
In the words of HURIWA; “Nigeria cannot continue like this. This culture of impunity must end. The looting of public wealth must stop. The time for action is now”.
