The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded an independent probe of the allegation of missing crude oil revenue from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) estimated at over $10 billion.

HURIWA in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja also told NNPC “to blame itself squarely for the persistent pessimism and cynicism among the Nigerian populace regarding the lack of transparency and accountability in the administration of public funds by the NNPC.”

HURIWA said the failure of the petroleum corporation to abide by the tenets of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act of 2011 and the persistent refusal by the hierarchy of NNPC to open up its books for scrutiny by credible civil society groups is solely responsible for the doubts created in the minds of most Nigerians regarding the sincerity in the claims of accountability by the corporation.

The rights group recalled that incumbent NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, was quoted in the media to have recently rebuffed several requests by civil society groups under the FoI Act demanding accounting records of the operations of the NNPC in the past few years.

HURIWA in the statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Director of Media Affairs, Miss Zainab Yusuf, tasked the Presidency to direct the hierarchy of NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum to subject its account books to independent scrutiny by internationally reputable auditing firms to be closely monitored by the anti-graft agencies. HURIWA demanded that the findings of these independent accounting and auditing monitors should be published for Nigerians to assess the level and scope of accountability and transparency of NNPC.

“NNPC,” according to the group, “cannot be the prosecutor and judge at the same time in a case that involves questions around issues of lack of accountability and transparency in the use of public fund generated from the export of Nigeria’s rich crude oil resources as it is stated in a Latin phrase that ‘nemo judex non causi sua’. The Nigerian state must compel NNPC officials to stop playing on peoples intelligence but should rather do the needful by inviting competent and professional reputable international firms of accountants and auditors who would be allowed the unfettered access to the accounting books of NNPC for the purposes of conducting independent forensic auditing and come out with verifiable, credible and trust worthy reports.”

HURIWA maintained that so long as NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum “run the current opaque financial transactional modules, Nigerians will not come to terms with any of the claims of accountability and transparency from the hierarchy of the NNPC.” The group said it has become imperative that the Federal Government shows the political will to compel the management of the petroleum sector to live above board and strangulate corruption that has eroded the confidence and trust of Nigerians on NNPC.

NNPC had through a statement by the General Manager (Media), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, claimed that the alleged $10.8 billion missing oil revenue had been used to settle some operational activities undertaken by the corporation.

HURIWA, however, said the NNPC is playing a choreographed hide-and-seek game and has so far failed the test of credibility.

•Photo shows NNPC GMD Andrew Yakubu.