Alleged N10bn TSA fraud: Buhari asked to probe Osinbajo, AGF

A political activist, Timi Frank, on Sunday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged illegal withdrawal of N10billion from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Frank, in a statement, indicted Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), Anthony Ayine.

He demanded the suspension of the AGF to allow for unhindered investigation.

The former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that for Osinbajo, “it appears to be a season of one month one corruption scandal.”

He lamented that the nation was sinking deeper into corruption, with multiple fraud scandals, at a time Nigerians expected to see tangible dividends of the anti-corruption war.

Frank dared Osinbajo to explain his role in the various corruption allegations that have been trailing him since 2017 rather than always running to court to divert attention.

He urged the National Assembly not only to probe “the N10billion TSA heist”, but to act on the outcome and initiate impeachment proceedings against Osinbajo if found wanting.

Frank said: “First, Osinbajo was linked to N90billion said to have been funneled to him by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to prosecute the 2019 general elections in the Southwest. The Vice President was also said to have received the sum of N4billion from the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness had indicted Osinbajo for approving the sum of N5.8billion for emergency intervention of food security to the northeast in June 2017, when he was acting president. This is why the present allegation of illegal withdrawal of N10billion from the TSA made against the VP has become one scam too many.”

The government critic opined that only a thorough and unbiased investigative panel that can either confirm or disprove the allegations.

He insisted that Osinbajo, as an elected public official, owes Nigerians an inalienable obligation to explain his part in all these corruption allegations against him.

Frank said going to court and seeking to use legal gymnastics to intimidate and harass whistleblowers was diversionary.

Frank added that the probe of the suspended acting chairman of the EFCC should serve as a template for the unraveling of this mind-boggling looting of the nation’s treasury.

He stated Nigerians expect the National Assembly to rise up and defend democracy and ensure that the nation’s resources are not being brazenly plundered in this sordid manner.”

Frank said it was time the lawmakers jettisoned their “rubber stamp attitude”, conduct diligent investigations and ensure that those found to have abused their offices are booted out.

This, he stressed, would serve as a deterrent to others.