It was Dr. Dre who opined that “No matter how hard you work to bring yourself up, there’s someone out there working just as hard, to put you down”. So it was when some weeks ago, Sahara Reporters being Sahara Reporters, published falsehood from the pit of hell which it wants to pass off as Investigative Report. In that reposte of lies, the online medium alleged that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kolo Kyari, paid the sum of N20 billion to ghost consultants and was involved in the theft of multi-billion naira tax due to the Ogun state government
Lapping up these lies from the pit of hell, which the NNPCL has debunked in the strongest of terms, the National Assembly, following a motion of grave national importance moved by Ibrahim Kawu (APC Kano) deliberated on the alleged diversion of N20 Billion by staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. In the motion, Ibrahim alleged that the funds were diverted in the guise of consultancy fees paid to its consultants, Messrs Safaya”. The house subsequently resolved to investigate the matter. The NNPCL, running a very transparent system under the current Board and Management having instituted a culture of transparency that includes making its annual Audited Financial Statements (AFS) public, has welcomed the National Assembly probe.
Probes into conduct of government agencies is normal oversight function of the National Assembly, and I’m sure that’s the reason why NNPCL which has maintained it’s innocence in the matter have welcomed the probe. Sadly, dubious Civil Society Organisations (CSO’S) Nigeriana that have cultivated the bad habit of instituting media trials for public officials when there’s yet any shred of recriminating evidence against them. The first salvo has been fired by a certain Northern Nigeria Youth Council (NYCN), a largely rabble-rousing collection of faceless youths notorious for bungling issues that they are completely ignorant of. In a so called media release, the NYCN is purportedly calling on Mele Kyari to leave his post to allow for what they claimed will be an unbiased investigation.
At this juncture, I believe it has become imperative to school these largely media-only insurgents on the difference between an oversight probe, a prima facie probe and/or a Board of Enquiry. This oversight probe is simply routine and although it shares some characteristics of a prima facie probe, its main basis is not necessarily to criminalize, but to clear some grey areas on behalf of the Nigerian people.
In fact, even a Board of Enquiry, the most punitively incline Investigative instrument is always empanelled to first establish wrongs, before proffering appropriate sanctions. It is therefore only in the case of a BOE that such individuals are mandated to vacate their offices to allow for independent, unbiased investigation into the matter or matters as the case may be.
Without making it too obvious, the case in question is simply a public interest probe which is not new in Nigeria. Nowhere in the past has anyone facing such investigation been asked to step aside for any reason and it won’t start today. It will do the NYCN or any other CSO waiting to shadow box into the issue a world of good to first learn the difference between these probes before throwing a hat into the race.
Those close to Mele Kyari must admonish him to block out these little noises and concentrate on delivering the mandate given to him and the newly reconstituted NNPCL body by President Buhari. Kyari must concentrate on making sure Nigeria and Nigerians reap the benefit of the resources that God has endowed this nation with.
Everyone not blinded by vested interests can see that the NNPCL is already transiting into a period of prudent business and transparency driven by ideas anchored on technology, innovation and partnership. Code named TAPE (Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence) Kyari’s blue print to ensure the continuous success of the NNPCL both at home and overseas beginning to reveal itself as a game changer and the rewards are mounting.
From funding, for instance, where the GCEO has led the NNPC LTD to secure a number of alternative funding facilities for the NPDC and some of the Joint Ventures projects to facilitate further development of assets, to combating oil theft and leading oil exploration in several new basins, Kyari’s penchant for thinking outside the box is delivering the goods.
The funding frontiers include the N875.75m NPDC OML 65 Alternative Funding and Technical Services package with CMES-OMS Petroleum Development Company and the $3.15bn Alternative Financing Package with Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) and other partners for the development of NPDC’s OML 13. The exploration front has also seen significant increase to the national crude oil reserves, the target of which is to achieve the 40,000 billion barrel ceiling through focused and committed exploration. To this end, the NNPCL GCEO has pushed up exploration work in some basins and drilling of certain oil wells. The drilling of Kolmano River II & III wells, Seismic data collection in the Bida and Sokoto Basins, Ebenyi – A exploration in Nasarawa state among several others.
With national crude oil reserves at its highest, the plan is to pursue vigorously, the nations oil production the sole aim of which was to up production to at least three million barrels daily. Improved security and peaceful negotiations have emerged as clear paths for achieving this aim as Nigerians are beginning to see.
Similarly, production shortages revolving around oil blocks have been dealt with, even as sabotage and corruption that was putting funds meant for the country in private, unscrupulous pockets has been checked. Improved security vigilance has birthed the destruction of many illegal refineries while many illegal oil barges and crafts have been apprehended by the Nigerian Military forces. Indeed, Kyari is leading the NNPC LTD to a future investment worth N10bn for the development of the Bonga South-East Field after reaching a peaceful conclusion and agreement of a deep offshore block, OML 118.
As write I this, the Kyari led management are hard at work to place Nigeria among the comity of Gas exporting nations. To this end, the first phase of the Ajaokuta – Kano gas pipeline is ongoing as part of the Nigeria – Morocco AKK trans-saharan gas pipeline. With the raging face-off in Russia and Ukraine, Nigeria could take advantage of the European gas market that’s begging for supply to cash in big from Gas export using the AKK Gas pipeline.
Isn’t it curious then that Sahara Reporters, buoyed by some youth group is choosing this particular period of consolidation to raise outrageous falsehoods against Kyari? This certainly gives credence to the saying that many unscrupulous Nigerians hate visionaries and will rather crash visionaries based on frivolities, especially when these visionaries are their regular Joe’s who come bearing illicit gifts to massage their insatiable taste for lucre. Take the case of the falsehood about NNPC stealing from Ondo for instance, it stands reason on the head for anyone to claim theft when the said case is a matter before the courts.
Mele Kyari must remain focused on doing the job which his competence and experience has landed him. This fact can never be overemphasized. Isn’t it ludicrous that someone who fought tooth and nails to cut off saboteurs from our oil lines, a criminal venture worth hundreds of billions will turn around and start stealing N20 Billion? Whereas every well meaning Nigerian will support the national assembly to discharge it’s oversight functions, it won’t be too much to ask them to complete it as quickly as possible to allow Mele Kyari to focus on implementing his revolutionary changes at the NNPCL.
Musa writes from Gombe
