Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute him if it has evidence linking him to the alleged $16 billion expenditure on power projects during his time in government.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of reviving old allegations against him in an attempt to divert attention from questions surrounding the utilisation of revenues generated after the removal of the petrol subsidy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the renewed focus on power-sector projects, privatisation and public assets was designed to shift attention away from the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
He challenged the Federal Government to account for the resources saved or generated following the removal of the petrol subsidy, asking, “Where is the people’s money?”
According to Atiku, allegations concerning the power projects have been raised repeatedly over the years without leading to his prosecution, despite successive administrations having access to government investigative institutions.
He argued that the controversy was being revived because his calls for greater transparency over the proceeds of subsidy removal had become uncomfortable for the Tinubu administration.
Atiku maintained that Nigerians had accepted the hardship associated with subsidy removal based on assurances that the savings would be redirected towards development.
“They removed subsidy from the poor and promised that the sacrifice would free resources for development. Nigerians accepted extraordinary pain on that promise,” he said.
He added that the consequences of the policy had become increasingly difficult for citizens, with higher costs of petrol, transportation and food, alongside a decline in workers’ purchasing power.
“Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated,” Atiku said.
The former vice president urged the government to focus on providing answers to Nigerians regarding the management of public resources rather than revisiting allegations he said had remained unresolved for years.
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