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OIL SECTOR: I’LL REVEAL THE TRUTH WHEN TIME COMES – KAYRI
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has said he will reveal the truth about the company’s operations in the oil and gas sector at the appropriate time.
Kyari made the statement on Wednesday while testifying before a Senate ad hoc committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry.
The committee, which is led by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, is investigating the oil firm’s activities amidst calls for public scrutiny.
Kyari stated that the NNPCL is not involved in the importation of sub-standard products, as it was committed to transparency and integrity.
He lamented unfair media reports, stating that it was targeted at tarnishing the company’s reputation and creating the impression of economic sabotage.
“We are not criminals, we are not thieves,” Kyari said. “We will protect our dignity so we can serve this country,” he said.
Recall that there has been a controversy between regulators in the oil and gas industry and the Dangote refinery.
One of the allegations was that some government officials own a blending plant in Malta.
Malta is an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea.
An oil blending plant has no refining capability but can be used to blend re-refined oil with additives to create finished lubricant products.
“To clarify the allegations regarding blending plant, I do not own or operate any business directly or by proxy anywhere in the world with the exception of a local mini agric venture.
“Neither am I aware of any employee of the NNPC that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
“A blending plant in Malta or any part of the world has no influence over NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions.
“For further assurance, our compliance sanction grid shall apply to any NNPC employee who is established to be involved in doing so if availed and I strongly recommend that such individuals be declared publicly and be made known to relevant government security agencies for necessary actions in view of the grave implications for national energy security,” Kyari said in a post on his X handle.
Meanwhile, the Senate has revealed that it will probe the over the $1.5 billion dollars approved in 2021 for the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery with little or no result.
Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman, of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, raised the concern in his response during an interactive session with stakeholders
He recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the plan by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to rehabilitate and turn around the Port Harcourt Refinery with 1.5 billion dollars.
Bamidele expressed concern about the dysfunctional state of government-owned refineries in spite of billions of dollars spent on turn-around maintenance.
“The federation is undergoing a truly challenging period. The distribution and supply of refined petroleum products has been irregular and problematic in the recent history of our fatherland.
“The long queues at filling stations are obviously a testament to this challenge.
“A situation, whereby we now depend almost entirely on the importation of these products even when we daily supply the global oil market about two per cent of its crude oil requirements is worrisome,” he said.
He said also that of serious concern was the importation of hazardous petroleum products and dumping of substandard diesel in the country.
“For us in the Senate, we believe, it is unfair and unpatriotic to treat government businesses or public corporations as an orphan while private businesses are flourishing and thriving,” he added.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Engr Farouk Ahmed said, “A lot of negative stories and narratives have been written and published against us in NMDPRA on how we are carrying out our regulatory functions, without us telling our own story.
“Gratifyingly, the planned public hearing will give us the appropriate platform of laying our facts bare to Nigerians for them to know who is sabotaging who. The investigation should be public and tele
