‘NNPC Has No Reputation, Its Reputation Is Fraud’ — Oshiomhole Demands Arrest Of Ex-NNPCL CEO Mele Kyari Over Alleged Trillions Of Naira Mismanagement

Abuja, Nigeria — Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), declaring that the state-owned oil company has “no reputation” and that its reputation is synonymous with fraud.

Oshiomhole made the remarks on Wednesday during a heated session of a Senate committee investigating alleged financial irregularities and unaccounted trillions of naira linked to the operations of the NNPCL under former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.

The senator also called for the immediate arrest of Kyari, accusing him of repeatedly refusing to honour invitations by the committee and failing to account for alleged financial discrepancies running into trillions of naira.

During a tense exchange involving representatives of the NNPCL and Kyari, Oshiomhole reacted to comments suggesting that many Nigerians were interested in securing employment opportunities for their children within the oil company.

“NNPC has no reputation. Your reputation is for fraud. Can you see those? People want their children to be employed here,” Oshiomhole said.

He continued: “They want this. They want this. I can’t talk to them like that.

“Do you think we are children? Mr. Chairman, we need to make… No, wait, wait. Don’t do that. When the Senator has the floor, please allow me to learn.

“And I will learn nicely. I listen. I hear you say people want their children to be employed in NNPC.

“Yes, because it’s a house of thieves. And they want their children to benefit from it. Yeah.

“So, let’s say those things. Number two… Wait, wait, wait. Allow me to finish.”

Oshiomhole argued that the Senate committee had no discretion to ignore the provisions of the law and insisted that lawmakers must enforce constitutional accountability mechanisms irrespective of the status of those involved.

“Procedural issues. And listening to the appropriate section as raised by the Distinguished Senator Babangida, it is clear that even if we don’t have any discretion, when the law says you shall, you must. We are all that combined and we cannot sit here and betray the very rules without which we can’t be here.

“You know, I said so before, that there are some people who, because of the way in which the country and certain institutions have been run, they see themselves as bigger than Nigeria.”

The former labour leader further lamented what he described as selective enforcement of justice in Nigeria.

“I hold the view that the law is effective when it catches a lion, not when you detain a rat or a rabbit; a man who stole a rat or a rabbit.

“That is the crisis of Nigeria.”

Calling for immediate action against the former NNPCL boss, Oshiomhole urged the committee to issue a warrant for Kyari’s arrest without delay.

“Mr. Chairman, this country must have the courage, the will to deploy its powers as enunciated in the Nigerian Constitution and issue a warrant, not tomorrow, today, and bring Mele Kyari, even dead or alive in law.

“Even if he’s dead, we want to see the body. And it will account. Here lies a man who died without accounting for his alleged crime that rose into trillions of naira.

“We are not talking of billions of naira. At a time when the country is borrowing money, we have huge sums of money that have not been accounted for.”

According to him, the concerns being raised against the former NNPCL chief were not based on speculation but on findings from professional auditors.

“There are serious issues not raised by laymen, raised by competent auditors. And the man is joking?

“Why did he have the money to pay for his medical bill in Germany? Those who are dying here, what happens to them?

“So I think that it is not for us to try to amend the rules that we have already agreed on. Having failed repeatedly, a serial failure, we cannot condone it.”

Oshiomhole also rejected attempts by representatives to appear on behalf of Kyari, insisting that the former NNPCL chief must personally answer questions relating to his tenure.

“And number two, sir, you are a competent man. We all have our backgrounds. Mele Kyari cannot be represented by a person.

“He is no longer a managing director, and his responsibility is to account for his actions as MD. He cannot be represented in that capacity.

“And so to tolerate it is for us to be collectively guilty, individually and collectively, of not having the will — and in fact it is about will — to do what the Constitution obliges us to do.”

The senator further argued that the same standard should apply to the current NNPCL leadership.

“So the same argument that we make for the MD, because I hear the current MD is not there, so that we don’t have to go and use different rules. The current MD is also not here.

“And in a former meeting we had said we will not allow anyone to be represented.”

Drawing an analogy with law enforcement agencies, Oshiomhole said Nigerians had lost faith in institutions because rules were often not enforced.

“Sir, the reason today Nigerians are not afraid of police is because they have discovered that the police fire guns into the air to scare.

“Weapons are not made to scare. If you carry a weapon, it is made to be used for only one purpose when you fire a bullet.

“And that is why people are still more afraid of the army, because when a soldier carries a weapon and fires, his intention is not to scare; it is to bring down.”

He concluded by urging the committee to end what he described as excuses and exceptions.

“So, I hold the view, under your leadership, end to exceptions, end to excuses, and in this case, I will invoke our powers to order the arrest of Mele Kyari and of the managing director of NNPC, both the past and the present.

“They are guilty of the same offence — total disregard to the Nigerian Constitution and inability to account for the gross abuse of our major source of revenue running into trillions of naira.”

Meanwhile, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District, backed Oshiomhole’s position and seconded the motion seeking Kyari’s arrest.

According to Nwebonyi, the former NNPCL boss had repeatedly ignored invitations from the Senate committee despite the seriousness of the allegations against him.

“Mr. Chairman, distinguished colleagues, fellow Nigerians, by my records, this is the ninth sitting of this very important committee on this particular matter.

“On three occasions, I presided and the CEO of NNPC didn’t show.

“So this is the ninth time this august body, being a statutory committee, has sat on this matter.”

The senator stressed that the committee derives its authority from the Constitution and not merely from Senate rules.

“This committee was not created by the rules of the Senate. This committee is among the two or three statutory committees created by our Constitution.

“That tells you how important this committee is. That tells you the interest of Nigerians in this committee.”

Nwebonyi argued that Kyari’s repeated absence demonstrated a lack of respect for both the committee and the Nigerian people.

“Distinguished colleagues, it goes without saying that the former CEO of NNPCL has no regard and respect for this committee.

“It also goes without saying that he has no defence on allegations levelled against him over corruption while in office.”

He maintained that waiting for the former NNPCL chief to appear voluntarily would be futile.

“Therefore, waiting for the CEO of NNPCL again will amount to what we call in law a wild goose chase, and I won’t be part of that.

“I hereby second the motion, using our powers as given to us by the Constitution, to order for the arrest of Mr. Kyari, the former CEO of NNPCL.

“I so second. Thank you.”

The Senate committee is investigating allegations of financial mismanagement, unaccounted revenues and other issues linked to the operations of the NNPCL during Kyari’s tenure, with lawmakers insisting that all public officials must be held accountable regardless of their status.