Prosecution of Fuel Subsidy Scam Suspects: Implication for the Fight against Corruption in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper shall examine the political-economics of the fuel subsidy, the rationale for fuel subsidy regime, the reasons for the change in government policy towards full deregulation of the oil and gas downstream sector, the peculiar morass of the Nigerian type dubbed ‘Nigerian factor’ that has created a culture of inefficiency and corruption in fuel subsidy management. We shall contend that a seeming system failure pervades the entire Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry .There is system dislocation in appropriate determination of true and correct extent of claims adduced by the Oil marketers; in the unfortunate reality of our national failure that permits a almost comatose upstream operations which in fact necessitated fuel importation by a country blessed by nature with Oil and Gas; in the failure to ensure proper investigation and prosecution of fuel Subsidy thieves; in the very wrong approach adopted by EFCC and other relevant Agencies to wait until a presidential nods is secured before arrests,investigation and due prosecution of the fuel subsidy suspects could be initiated. The paper intends to consider challenges dogging the prosecution of the fuel subsidy scam suspects.