Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to make public the audit report on the alleged $20billion oil money missing in the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Buhari threw the challenge yesterday in a press statement by the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Director of Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

The campaign outfit asked President Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, to live up to their flaunted belief in the rule of law and due process, public probity and accountability, by acceding to the request of the National Assembly to submit the forensic audit report from KPMG on the missing $20 billion and go ahead to publish same in mainstream newspapers for Nigerians to assess or query the degree of transparency involved in the controversial transaction.

He added, “So many respected experts on the national economy have condemned the wanton waste of the country’s hard currency earnings at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Worse still, those in charge have treated Nigerians with impunity by hiding the facts relating to petro-dollar trade from the taxpayers. Some of them have been gallivanting and globe-trotting around the world in luxury while their compatriots languish in poverty and squalor.”

The Buhari’s spokesman questioned the audacity of the President, PDP and NNPC in disobeying the NASS request to scrutinise the KPMG audit of an alleged grossly corrupt government agency (NNPC).

“Is the NNPC a sacred cow? And should the President be an umpire in a game to which he’s a contender, or a judge in his own case?” he asked.

“Is the President and his Petroleum Minister telling Nigerians that no wrong has been done in terms of stealing of public funds? If corruption was established in any form, is anyone listed for punishment? It is pertinent to put all these information in the public domain for third party verification. The KPMG report funded by taxpayer’s money is itself a public property. And until this is done, the NNPC under Jonathan shall remain in public consciousness the abattoir for corruption, immodesty, dishonesty and impunity,” he said.