Echotitbits.com – Abuja, Nigeria
In a powerful joint statement, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and over 75 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action beyond the recent dismissal of Mele Kyari as Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The coalition is demanding Kyari’s immediate arrest and the launch of a transparent judicial inquiry into the affairs of the state-run oil company.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, CNCSOs National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Agaba Iduh Fidel, described the situation at NNPCL as a “national emergency of historic proportions,” accusing the former leadership of “industrial-scale corruption, reckless mismanagement, and economic sabotage.”
While acknowledging Tinubu’s decision to relieve Kyari and his team of their duties as “bold and commendable,” the coalition argued that such a move falls woefully short of the accountability Nigerians deserve.
According to Dr. Iduh, the CNPP and its civil society partners have consistently raised alarms over corruption and opacity in the oil sector, dating back years. He cited a 2021 expose on fraudulent recruitments into the dormant Port Harcourt Refinery, which cost taxpayers billions despite the facility’s inactivity.
The coalition further accused the NNPCL under Kyari’s watch of ignoring Freedom of Information (FOI) requests between April and May 2025, which sought contract details and expenditures related to over $4 billion allegedly allocated for refinery rehabilitation projects.
“This silence wasn’t just bureaucratic—it was a deliberate act of evasion,” Dr. Iduh said. “Nigerians deserve full disclosure, not cover-ups.”
The group referenced the August 2024 fuel contamination crisis and persistent subsidy frauds as examples of how NNPCL’s leadership allegedly enabled fuel import cartels at the expense of local refining and economic stability.
Most damning, however, is the recent disclosure of ₦210 trillion in unreconciled transactions within NNPCL’s audited accounts spanning 2017 to 2023. The coalition dismissed attempts to downplay the figure as an accounting error.
“This isn’t a clerical slip—it’s a financial calamity,” the statement read. “Those responsible must be held accountable.”
They also condemned NNPCL’s current management for snubbing the Senate Public Accounts Committee by prioritizing a management retreat over a formal summons—a move the coalition branded as “insulting to the suffering Nigerian masses.”
Among other red flags cited were inconsistencies uncovered by NEITI, dubious oil swap deals, and longstanding audit queries from the Auditor-General’s office.
Despite arrests of former NNPCL officials over the $7.2 billion refinery rehabilitation scandal, the coalition lamented that Mele Kyari has not faced any investigation or legal scrutiny.
“Is Kyari above the law?” they questioned. “Does he enjoy some kind of immunity that shields him from prosecution?”
Dr. Iduh also reignited the unresolved 2015 saga involving the alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude, which reportedly occurred while Kyari was Group General Manager of NNPC’s Crude Oil Marketing Division. He demanded answers on who authorized the transaction, where the proceeds are, and why there’s been no prosecution.
While praising Tinubu’s resolve to reform the oil sector, the coalition insisted that cosmetic changes are not enough.
“Mere sacking is insufficient. Nigerians demand a forensic audit, a full public probe, and a total cleansing of the corrupt cabal controlling the oil industry,” Dr. Iduh declared.
The coalition warned that Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” and his vision of a $1 trillion economy by 2030 would remain elusive without urgent and uncompromising reforms in the oil sector.
A 21-day ultimatum has now been issued to the Federal Government. If unmet, the coalition vowed to embark on nationwide protests, pursue international petitions, initiate lawsuits, and launch a global media campaign to expose the systemic rot in the petroleum sector.
“This is not a battle against individuals,” Dr. Iduh concluded. “It’s a fight for Nigeria’s economic survival, for the millions of poor citizens suffering daily, and for generations yet unborn. Mr. President, the time to act decisively is now. The nation—and the world—are watching.”
— Echotitbits.com Newsroom
