By Christiana Ekpa
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has said that it has been vindicated by recent comments made by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; former Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), who is also a former Emir of Kano, His Royal Majesty Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; and the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, on the age-long shady activities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, otherwise known as NNPC Limited.
The umbrella association of all registered political parties and political associations in the country, in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said that “their comments have again brought to the front burner issues bordering on the endemic corruption and manipulation of figures by the management and board of the now incorporated haven for corruption, the NNPC Limited.”
The CNPP insisted that “on the day President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the current management of the NNPC Limited, he practically reinforced, consolidated, renamed and finally incorporated corruption in the oil sector.
“The NNPC Limited has a Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), who has been in the old NNPC system and now bringing his experience and digital savvy to bear on the corrupt operational system of the old NNPC and today, the impunity in the NNPC has been upgraded to digital level.
“With the understanding of the system, knowing that the Nigerian people are yearning to have a better country, the current GCEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, came up with the questionable annual profit declaration on paper probably to blindfold Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari who incidentally doubles as Minister of Petroleum Resources.
“Within one week, three highly placed individuals, who should know, have questioned the viability of NNPC as being operated today and the competence of the current management team.
“On his part, the presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi who took a swipe at the top management of NNPC Limited over obvious incompetence, said they ought to immediately resign.
“But the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on the other hand, said that though the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari is trying his best, the company has failed and has no business being in the sector, “because NNPC claims that subsidy has taken all the oil revenues, I don’t believe that.”
“El-Rufai further said, “Nothing has changed for NNPC other than adding ‘L’ to it for the limited. They are still taking our money. They are still declaring profits that we don’t see the dividends.”
“The governor of Kaduna State concluded that “NNPC is a big problem to Nigeria and unless we resolve it, it will bring Nigeria to its knees. It’s a systemic and institutional problem, it’s beyond one person”, opinion the CNPP has held over the years.
“The third among these scholarly citizens who have spoken out is the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and vice chairman of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who spoke specifically on the unbelievable fuel consumption figures being released by NNPC Limited on daily basis.
“The shocked former Emir of Kano said, “In 2019, officially we were importing 40 million litres per day. In 2022 officially, we are importing 66 million per day. In three years, we have increased our petrol consumption by 50%”.
“Lamido Sanusi then asked, “Please tell me, is it the population? Is it the number of cars? Just ask yourself if it makes sense that in three years you increase your consumption of petrol by 50%. Are we drinking petrol?”
“The CNPP, as part of its patriotic duty, has pointed at each of these areas, including the incurable corruption in the NNPC and recently called on President Muhammadu Buhari to allow private sector players take charge of the management of NNPC Limited.
“How long shall we continue to believe manipulated figures coming from the NNPC year in and year out?
“The worst disservice to the Nigeria is keeping the current management and board members of the NNPC Limited who have continued to deceive Nigerians, including President Muhammadu Buhari by computing imaginary figures in the name of profits without even meeting its primary responsibility — OPEC crude oil supply quota — yet the amount spent on subsidy kept skyrocketing and at the same time the company declared N674bn profit after tax for the year 2021.
“At least, the CNPP has been vindicated by Mr. Peter Obi, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and HRM Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
“Therefore, we reiterate our call for the sack of the current NNPC management team and Board members to avert the a total collapse of the Nigerian economy.
“Hopefully, President Muhammadu Buhari would leave a legacy of a sanitised NNPC Limited behind as he hands over power on May 29, 2023 or hand over the current liability to the incoming administration to grapple with”,the CNPP said.
