The chief executive officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has been urged to render an account of the cost implications of fixing the nation’s refineries.

A coalition of civil society groups led by Mr Danesi Momoh also demanded from Kyari to make available the Energy Transition program and mention exactly when the refineries will start production.

Decrying the hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of fuel subsidy removal, they called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of the NNPCL.

The rights group comprising Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, Public Accountability Situation Room, Guardians of Democracy and Development Initiative, and

Independent Public Service Accountability Watch argued that their demands were based on the fact that Nigerian taxpayers deserve to know what’s going on with their collective wealth.

“Let us remind Mr Kyari that no amount of blackmail, intimidation, or diversionary tactics will deter us on this patriotic campaign. Soon, we shall take the struggle to the NNPCL Towers till the whole truth is laid bare,” the group noted in a statement.

“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 pledged to continue to engage the government through an actionable timetable detailing 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 addressed and justice is done to the suffering and impoverished Nigerians.

They added: “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.” (The Guardian)

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