Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth that will empower anti-graft agencies to go after Nigerians with unexplained wealth.
The Borno South senator also commended the President’s recent action wherein he ordered that all revenues from the sale of crude oil be deposited into an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Ndume, speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said if President Tinubu is serious about tackling the menace of corruption, he must sign the Executive Order as soon as possible.
He said people, especially the political class, must explain their sources of wealth or forfeit the same to the government.
“The next thing now, if President Tinubu wants to fight corruption, would be to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth in this country.
“Let all these people explain where they got their money, including myself.
“People should stop talking about trivialities or personal issues; they should talk about national issues,” Ndume stated
Ndume also commended the President’s action on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and urged him to expand the dragnet to include all government agencies that generate revenues.
He said the agencies must not be allowed to keep government funds in commercial banks without proper monitoring, as such will be safer in the coffers of the CBN.
“The President has now ordered that all crude oil sales revenue should be paid into the CBN. That is a very welcome and positive step he has taken, and he should not stop there.
“All agencies of government that generate revenue should pay their money into the consolidated revenue account and, as they present their budget, let them bring it before the National Assembly. That’s what the Constitution says.
“So, what they now want is to make a political issue out of it.
“This decision that Mr. President took is the right decision, it is constitutional, and it should be supported by everybody. That way, it should also apply to other revenue-generating agencies of government. They cannot keep it.
“NIMASA should pay directly like NNPCL into the CRF. The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) should do the same. The Nigeria Customs Service and all other revenue agencies should pay revenues into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, and their accounts should remain with CBN because they can do banking.
“So, if they want to withdraw money, they should do so through the CBN. They were doing this before. Don’t go and keep people’s money in commercial banks and do transactions with it. That is it.
“I reiterate my call commending him for asking NNPCL to pay all oil revenue into the Consolidated Revenue account,” Ndume stated.
