The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Comrade Timi Frank has called on Nigerians to prepare for a mass protest if President Goodluck Jonathan fails to sack the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, over the missing $20billion oil revenue.
Comrade Frank who is the former National Youth Leader of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in a statement in Abuja said the peaceful mass action which will take place after the next seven days if Jonathan refuses to sack Diezani is aimed at ensuring that people with questionable characters do not continue to linger in the temple of power in this country.
The Bayelsa-born social/anti corruption crusader said the revelations made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that a humongous sum of $20billion oil revenue remains unaccounted for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has confirmed the assertion of social activists that the nation’s oil revenue are not being transparently managed.
He described those calling for the sack of Sanusi for blowing the whistle on the prevalent corruption in the NNPC as not only ignorant but promoters of corruption.
Frank said: “Nigerians must wake up and take their destiny in their hands. We cannot afford to sit idly and watch our common heritage being squandered by a few just because they are opportuned to be in leadership positions.
“When Nigerian labour unions and civil society organizations took to the streets in
January 2012 to demand a reversal of the sudden increase in the pump price of petrol, this administration blackmailed the labour leaders by saying they want to pull down the government.
“We have since discovered that they did that to intimidate the people. But this time around no amount of arrest, blackmail, tear-gas, rubber or live bullets, intimidation and imprisonments will dissuade the people from having their way.
“We shall not only occupy the NNPC Towers but remain there until Diezani is sacked. We will prove to this government that power truly belongs to the people.”
He urged Nigerians to brace up for the struggle ahead aimed at eliminating corruption from the highest echelons of governance in this country.
He added:”We will not rest but continue to fight until we realize an egalitarian and corrupt free country of our dreams. Corruption breeds unemployment, sickness, poor healthcare services, collapsed infrastructure, brain drain and insecurity.
“Therefore, those found to be romancing corruption must be shown the way out and if the government fails to do it in their offices, we shall help them do it in the streets.”
