The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, to provide a detailed account of the alleged missing ₦825 billion and $2.5 billion allocated for refinery rehabilitation and other oil revenues.
This demand follows revelations in the 2021 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which was released on Thursday, November 27, 2024.
SERAP has urged Kyari to identify and hand over individuals implicated in the mismanagement of these funds to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The organization also called for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to be invited to inspect Nigeria’s refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. They further recommended involving the ICPC and EFCC in monitoring the operations and expenditures of the refineries.
In a letter dated January 4, 2025, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP expressed its support for the NNPCL’s public invitation to Obasanjo to tour the refineries, emphasizing that the move was aligned with the principles of transparency and accountability. The letter also urged the inclusion of anti-graft agencies in the process.
“We welcome your public invitation to Obasanjo, which is entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international obligations concerning the roles of citizens in preventing and combating grand corruption,” SERAP said in the letter.
The group expressed deep concern about the allegations in the Auditor-General’s report, which suggest a serious breach of public trust and violation of the Nigerian Constitution, national anti-corruption laws, and international obligations. SERAP further stated that these allegations have contributed to economic stagnation, deepened poverty, and deprived Nigerians of opportunities for progress.
SERAP has given a seven-day deadline for the NNPCL to take the recommended actions, warning that legal steps will be pursued if there is no response.
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