ABUJA – Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) executives and stakeholders have rejected allegations of economic sabotage in the oil and gas sector during a Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigation.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mallam Mele Kyari, and NMDPRA CEO Engineer Farouk Ahmed presented their defense at the Senate meeting. They denied the claims and emphasized their commitment to transparency and improving the sector.
Kyari, representing NNPCL, asserted that the company, owned by over 200 million Nigerians, is dedicated to national interests. He highlighted recent increases in oil production and described the company’s performance as a significant turnaround from previous years of losses. He also expressed support for a live broadcast of the planned public hearing to ensure transparency.
Farouk Ahmed of NMDPRA echoed calls for a live public hearing to clear misconceptions about the agency’s regulatory role. He criticized the negative narratives about NMDPRA and called for a platform to present their side of the story.
Dangote Refinery, which sources 60% of its crude from NNPCL, acknowledged the support but emphasized the need for broader stakeholder support. Conversely, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliyu from DAPMAN and Alhaji Abubakar Shettima from IPMAN criticized potential monopolies in the sector and called for improvements in product supply and market accessibility.
Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, clarified that the investigation aims to identify and address issues of sabotage without targeting individuals or groups. The committee’s public hearing is scheduled for September 10-12, 2024.
