Subsidy Removal: CSOs ask NNPCL CEO actual cost of fixing Nigeria’s refineries

Story from Vivian DANIEL, Abuja

A team of Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) has advised the chief executive officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to render an account of what it would cost to fix the nation’s refineries.

A conglomerate of civil society groups led by Mr Danesi Momoh similarly demanded from Kyari to make available the Energy Transition program and comment precisely when the refineries will start operation.

They have called for more transparency and accountability in the administration of the NNPC while condemning the difficulty being faced by Nigerians as a result of fuel subsidy removal.

The rights groups comprising Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, Public Accountability Situation Room, Guardians of Democracy and Development Initiative, and
Independent Public Service Accountability Watch asserted that their demands were based on the fact that Nigerian taxpayers deserve to know what’s going on with their collective wealth.

READ ALSO: Subsidy Removal: NEC directs NEMA to release grains to states

Furthermore, the groups reminded Mr Kyari that no amount of blackmail, intimidation, or diversionary tactics will dissuade them from their patriotic campaign. They noted that soon they would take their struggle to the NNPCL Towers up until the whole truth is laid bare.

“We demand for transparency, accountability and we’ll continue to demand that Mr President act to expose the heinous crimes in the petroleum sector”.

The CSOs have pledged to continue to engage the Government through an actionable timetable detailing while describing the role of Mele Kyari and his known foot soldiers who are causing the hardship faced by Nigeria as a result of the removal of subsidy, insisting that they won’t stop until their concerns are attended to and justice is done towards the suffering of Nigerians who are disadvantaged.

“The fact that Nigerians have endured for too long in silence doesn’t mean we don’t know anything. For a company that claims to service the oil subsidy with over N4.39 trillion in a year, why can a sane person record that the company making some money after that subsidy has been removed is an achievement? Are these guys in NNPCL this daft?”

“As for the claim of making those paltry profits of N287 billion and N674 million in 2020 and 2021, including other claims of minimizing losses and being the first GMD to declare a profit, can Nigerians see the audited account of NNPCL?

“Why is there never an audited account of NNPC or NNPCL known to the public? Is it a security document? It is even a shame for Mele Kyari to boast about declaring those paltry sums as profits, even as the entire claim is in itself unverified.

“If oil theft has been stopped and culprits apprehended, where are they? This is nothing but blatant falsehood that must be disregarded,” they added.

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