The Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the Nigerian citizens on the status of the alleged undercover committee set up to investigate and recover the accumulated stamp duty money as a matter of urgency in the interest of public trust and transparency.
This was contained in an open letter, addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President Federal Republic of Nigeria, and dated 8th Jan. 2023, signed by the 19 chairmen, and FCT, which was made available to journalists in Lokoja, Kogi state.
The Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks is a forum of states based civil society networks operating in the Nineteen Northern states of Nigeria and Abuja.
The forum while felicitating with the president on the successful new year celebrations, they congratulated him on the signing into law, the 2023 appropriation bill, an exercise which happened to be the last of such national rituals he would be obliging the Nigerian citizens.
The statement said “Sir, we wish to bring to your attention, the trending issue in Nigeria regarding a committee supposedly set up covertly under your able leadership to investigate an alleged stamp duty fraud worth N89 Trillion.
“We, as members of Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks, operating in the nineteen northern states and FCT, and other Nigerians are worried about the purported humongous sums of money said to have been manipulated by some few individuals, while we continuously pass and sign into law appropriation bills with huge deficits, and whose implementation largely depends on borrowings.
“We feel uneasy on the increasing Nigerian debt profile, and wonder how our nation, shall magically plan to survive with these humongous deficits in our annual national budgets.
“Sir, Hon. Muhammad Gudaji Kazaure, a member of the National Assembly representing the people of Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi Federal Constituency in Jigawa State, had on several platforms claimed that, you had set up an undercover presidential committee, headed by one Mr. Adetola Adekoya to investigate the long accumulated stamp duty revenues.
“In our humble opinion, It will be a major disservice to the nation, if you as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, continue to remain silent on this sensitive national issue, which has not only captured the attention of all Nigerians, but also the international communities.
“The magnitude of the most recently trending issue deserves nothing less than a live national broadcast to address Nigerians on the status of the said committee and the humongous sums of money said to have been stashed in some Nigerian commercial banks
“Your Excellency, one of the most painful and derogatory remarks in the entire hullabaloo is that “Nigeria is a country where Government borrows Government money and pays interest to cabals”
“This assertion is not only too sensitive to capture your attention, but also the glaring desire to clear the air and vindicate the reputation of your administration, as some Government officials were fingered in the alleged mess, as well as to save the integrity of our dear country, which is currently at stake.
The statement was Signed by Amb. Ibrahim A. Waiya, President, Kano Civil Society Forum, Amb. Ibrahim Yusuf – Chairman, Association of NGOs, Gombe State, Amb. Idris Ozovehe Muraina, Chairperson, Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET), Aminu Mullam, Secretary General, Network of Adamawa Non – Governmental Organizations (NANGO), Jinjiri J. Garba, Executive Director/State Chairman, Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organizations (BASNEC).
Others are; Mrs. Shimenenge Kyaagba, Benue Network of NGOs (BENGONET), Comrade Bulama Abiso – Executive Director, Network of Civil Society Organizations Borno, Muhammad Musbahu Basrika, Chairman, Network of Civil Society organizations, Jigawa State, Emmanuel Bonet, Chairman, Concerned civil society, Kaduna State, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, Chairman, Coalition of Civil Society organizations, Katsina State, Hon. (Dr) Usman Buhari Ali, Chairman, Coalition of NGOs in Kebbi State State (CONKS),
Others includes; Ade Bodunde, Chairman, Kwara Forum of CSOs, Mr. Solomon Yakubu Enjola, Chairman, Nassarawa NGO Network (NANGONET), Habila Muhammad Kudu, Coordinator, NGOs Forum Niger, Gad Peter, Rep. Coalition of NGOs Plateau State, Ibrahim Abdullahi Shuni, Chairman, Coalition of NGOs in Sokoto State, Joseph Gimba PhD, Chairman, Coalition for civil society organizations in Taraba State (COCS OTS), Baba Shehu, Executive Director/Chairman, Network of Yobe Civil Society Organizations, Ambassador, Ibrahim Tudu, Chairman, Zamfara Coalition of NGOs (ZASCONS), Aanu Rotimi, Chairperson, Accountability Mechanism, FCT, Abuja.