A group of protesters and lawyers recently stormed the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja to submit a petition demanding an investigation into the tenure and spending of Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL). The petitioners, known as the Guardian of Democracy And Rule Of Law, alleged that Kyari’s leadership was marked by corruption, tax evasion, and misappropriation of public funds.
The protesters claimed that the amount spent on refinery repairs was inflated, citing a proposal by a consortium of private sector firms to repair three refineries for about $1 billion. However, NNPCL under Kyari spent over $4 billion on refinery repairs, with the petitioners questioning the transparency and accountability of these expenditures.
The petition highlighted several areas of concern, including:
The petitioners alleged that Kyari collaborated with certain consultants and contractors to conceal the actual cost of contracts and evade taxes. They also claimed that crude oil allocations were diverted, and financial transactions were carried out under the guise of “pipeline security” without transparent processes or accountability mechanisms.
The lawyers demanded a thorough investigation into Kyari’s tenure, recovery of misappropriated public funds, and collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to probe suspected tax evasion. They also called for a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into NNPCL’s affairs over the last five years, emphasizing that this demand is non-negotiable.
