Name Beneficiaries of Subsidy Fraud, NASU Tells FG

The Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) has called on the Federal Government to name the members of the ‘cartel’ fraudulently benefiting from the money meant for fuel subsidy in Nigeria.

Anything short of that, the union said, would mean that the government is liable as ‘accessory to the crime both before and after commission of the crime’.

President of NASU, Comrade Ladi Iliya, made the call while addressing union delegates at the Fifth Quadrennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja, where she added that the union would continue to fight against the removal of fuel subsidies.

“Subsidy is not a taboo… The real issue for worry is why our refineries are not working. The answer is that the refineries are not working because over the years some so called powerful individuals, who the government prefers calling a cartel, do not want them to work because they are benefiting from the ‘subsidised’ importation of fuel.

Speaking on the security situation in the country, Iliya said adequate security; maintenance of law and order and safety of lives and properties of citizens remain priorities if the government seeks to build a solid and prosperous economy.
She added that Nigerians would be able to achieve their potentials when they feel safe and secure in the country.

“The increasing criminal activities of militia groups such as the Niger Delta militants in the South-South, Boko Haram in the North, Bakassi boys in the South-East and OPC in the south-West as well as the upsurge in bombings in the country have put a question on the lips of everyone and it is, ‘Where have we gone wrong in our national security?” Iliya said.

She alleged that the militia groups are a creation of politicians who use them to intimidate political opponents during elections and for election rigging. The groups, she added, have eventually become more powerful than those who established them.

“Our politicians should be monitored and none of them should be regarded as sacred cow if found to be compromising our national security. This also provides an auspicious moment to address the workings of our security structure and stem any decline in performance,” Iliya said.