Jonathan protest in Abuja as Buhari plans $ 2 .1 b oil cash probe

Ex- President seeks protection

HOLIDAYING former President Goodluck Jonathan has dashed into Abuja to launch a protest ,The Nation has learnt.
Dr Jonathan is disturbed by the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe how $ 2. 1billion was illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) , sources said yesterday, pleading not to be named “ because of the sensitivity of the matter ”.
Jonathan is said to be planning a protest to
the Gen . Abubakar Abdul salami National Peace Committee for 2015 General Elections that:
•the Buhari administration is trying to blackmail him and his erstwhile cabinet members;
•he is not pleased with the corruption tar being put on his administration ; and that
•he is worried by the likely probe of the whereabouts of the $4billion taxes and dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquified Natural gas Ltd between 2009 and 2014 .
Jonathan and some of his ministers are said to be angry that Buhari ought to know that such taxes and dividends are remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS ) .
Another matter troubling Jonathan and his ministers , according to sources, is how the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) under his watch allegedly blew N 3.8trillion in three years .
The Abdulsalami Committee is yet to have audience with Buhari on the allegations made by Jonathan , a source said. The former President arrived in the country last weekend to “defend his administration ”. He could not be reached for comments last night .
It was , however, learnt that he had chosen to table before the Abdulsalami Committee some issues, including the controversial $ 2. 1billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without recourse to the National Economic Council (NEC ). A source said: “ The former President returned into the country at the weekend but he is unhappy with the bashing of his administration . “Jonathan believes that Buhari is blackmailing him and his ministers , contrary to the terms of the 2015 poll peace agreement which led to a smooth transition from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) to the opposition All Progressives Congress ( APC) .
“I think Jonathan approached the Abdulsalami Committee so that he will be left alone by Buhari who openly said he inherited an empty treasury from his predecessor. ”
A former minister in the Jonathan administration , who spoke in confidence , said : “The ex- President is unhappy that the administration of Buhari has been stigmatising his administration instead of putting him into confidence on issues . “For God ’s sake , let them allow this man to earn his well- deserved retirement . If there is any observation by the new government , there are standard official procedures of addressing such. ”
NEC , on June 29, raised a four- man panel on how NNPC spent N 3. 8 trillion in three years .
The four ‘wise men ’ are Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo ), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom ), Nasir El - Rufai (Kaduna ) and Ibrahim Dankwambo ( Gombe) . While awaiting the submission of the committee’s report , Oshiomhole joined issues with the immediate past Minister of Finance , Dr . Ngozi Okonjo - Iweala , on how $ 2. 1billion in ECA was disbursed without approval. He said the $ 2. 1 billion, only $1 billion was paid to oil marketers as fuel subsidy and about $1billion used for election purposes .
Although Mrs. Okonjo - Iweala claimed that the ex- President approved the spending of $1 billion, Oshiomhole said Jonathan had no right to do so . He said any withdrawal from the account ought to be approved by NEC .

Source : The Nation