The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) have said that they were vindicated over their persistent calls for a probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under the leadership of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Mele Kyari.
This followed the arrest of top management officials of the NNPCL by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged monumental corruption.
In a joint statement by Comrade James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, and Alhaji Ali Abacha, National Secretary of CNCSOs, the groups berated security agencies for allowing Engr. Mele Kyari to travel abroad while individuals who served under his leadership were arrested and detained.
They expressed outrage over reports that the EFCC arrested the sacked managing directors of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries over alleged mismanagement of nearly $3 billion allocated for rehabilitation: $1.56bn to Port Harcourt Refinery, $740m to Kaduna Refinery, and $656m to Warri Refinery.
“Most shocking is the discovery of N80bn in the personal bank accounts of one of the sacked managing directors, as reported by credible media sources. If one individual could amass such illicit wealth, what more is hidden in the accounts of others in Kyari’s team?” the statement asked.
The CNPP and CNCSOs condemned the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation as a monumental scam, having consumed over $897m yet failed to produce petrol or sustain operations.
“The Nigerian government and public were deceived into celebrating emptiness. Today, independent reports confirm no fuel trucks are lifting products from the facility, confirming our earlier warnings,” they said.
They also welcomed Engr. Kyari’s recent statement expressing readiness to account for his stewardship, saying: “I served with the fear of God knowing fully well as a Muslim that if I do not account before man, I will account before Allah.
“If Engr. Kyari truly fears God and is ready to account, then he must return immediately to face the EFCC probe. Hiding abroad contradicts his public declaration,” they stated.
The groups blamed security agencies for their failure to place Kyari on a watch list or restrict his movement pending investigation, calling it a betrayal of public trust.
They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that no member of the sacked NNPCL management is shielded from prosecution, especially that the world is watching.
