Jonathan appoints Ribadu to head oil revenue task force

 
The Federal Government on Tuesday appointed the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in last year’s election, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to head a 21-member taskforce to probe and collect revenues accruable to the country from both the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.
Ribadu is a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
His appointment was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Goni Sheikh.
According to the statement, the setting up of the task force is consistent with President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise to clean the oil industry of corruption in line with the yearnings of the people.
Ribadu’s appointment came amid revelations in the House of Representatives that the over N2tn claimed as fuel subsidy in 2011 alone was a huge scam.
The country had spent N1.8tn between 2006 and 2008 on fuel subsidy.
A major feature of the Ribadu committee is the fact that its membership is drawn mostly from among those critical of the petrol subsidy regime already under probe by a House of Representatives s Ad-Hoc Committee chaired by Mr. Lawan Farouk.
On the team is the former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, who would serve as deputy chairman. Other members are, a Director of Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Mallam Abba Kyari; Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Ms. Benedicta Molokwu, Mr. Supo Sasore, (SAN); Mr. Tony Idigbe, (SAN); Mr. Anthony George-Ikoli, SAN; Dr. Omolara Akanji; Mr. Ituah Ighodalo; Mr. Bon Otti; Prof. Olusegun Okunnu; Mallam Samaila Zubairu; Mr.Ignatius Adegunle; and Mr. Gerald Ilukwe.
Besides, the Federal Inland Revenue Service; the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Department of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation are to be represented by one member each.
Sheikh said, “The Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force is charged with the following terms of reference:
- To work with consultants and experts to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues (taxes, royalties, etc.) due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria;
- To take all necessary steps to collect all debts due and owing; to obtain agreements and enforce payment terms by all oil industry operators;
- To design a cross debt matrix between all agencies and parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
- To develop an automated platform to enable effective tracking, monitoring, and online validation of income and debt drivers of all Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
- To work with world-class consultants to integrate systems and technology across the production chain to determine and monitor crude oil production and exports, ensuring at all times, the integrity of payments to the Federal Government of Nigeria; and,
- To submit monthly reports for ministerial review and further action.

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