A rights group, Centre for Human Rights in Africa, has written to the new Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi, calling for an investigation into the activities of Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), and other top officials in the oil sector.
In the letter signed by Princess Caroline Obi, the group alleged that Kyari and other officials, including Gbenga Olu Komolafe, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), have been involved in various nefarious activities that have hindered the growth and development of the oil sector in Nigeria.
Specifically, the group accused the officials of unaccounted crude oil production and sales, frustrating the functionality of refineries in Nigeria, and preferring the export of crude oil to refineries linked to them outside Nigeria, thereby shortchanging the government and accruing forex debts on the already stretched economy of the country.
The group also alleged that the officials have amassed wealth not commensurate with their earnings as chief executive officers of government organizations.
“The Director General would be alarmed about the rot in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria under the watch of the above-listed individuals,” the letter said.
“They have constituted themselves as clogs in the wheels of progress in the country. They have continued to milk the country dry by frustrating the functionality of the refineries in the country.
“It is also on record that they have been neck deep in frustrating the desire for local refining of petroleum products in the country, preferring the export our crude oil to refineries linked to them outside the shores of the country, thereby shortchanging the government and accruing forex debts on the already stretched economy of the country.
“We are therefore using this medium to call for an investigation of the above-mentioned individuals in a bid to unravel their nefarious activities and also put an end to it for the betterment of the country at large.
The Centre for Human Rights in Africa is conversant with the unalloyed commitment of the director general in the Nigerian project, hence our writing this letter requesting an investigation into the oil and gas administration in Nigeria.
“It is indeed sad that these individuals have constituted themselves into a gang working against the interests of the country. They have amassed so much wealth that is not commensurate with their earnings as chief executive officers of government organizations.
“We wish to also state that Mele Kyari, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is the ring leader, who has been engaging in acts that have cost the country considerable loss of revenues over the years.
“The Director General may wish to recall that recently, there was a news report on how officials of the NNPCL sign off substandard petroleum products from Malta into the country. This example is one of numerous others that have been detrimental to the economic stability of the country.”
The Centre for Human Rights in Africa called on the DSS to investigate the activities of the officials and bring an end to their alleged nefarious actions for the betterment of Nigeria.
“The Centre for Human Rights in Africa is desirous of a better Nigeria and one of the ways this could be achieved is when there is a clean-up in the administration of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria,” the letter added.
“This is also on the heels that Nigeria’s major source of revenue is crude oil production and sales. As it stands the country is on the brink of annihilation if urgent steps are not taken.
“We trust that the director general would use his good office to investigate the activities of the above-mentioned individuals in the overall interest of the country.”