The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has debunked an investigation by Premium Times indicting the Corporation of overseeing procurement fraud in slop oil sale, where two highest bidders are said to be the same people at the Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC.
But the group did not give PRIMORG details of the transactions making it impossible for independent verification and confirmation.
Following the corruption report, the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG had invited NNPC to its anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE on RADIO on September 14, 2021, to clarify the fraud cases raised in the investigation, which they failed to honor.
NNPC described the investigation as inaccurate, misleading and taken on the wrong assumption in a letter addressed to the Executive Director, PRIMORG, Okhiria Agbonsuremi by the Corporation’s Group General Manager, Garba Deen Muhammad.
NNPC added that it has made clarifications following the accusation, and emphasized it does not wish to further discuss the subject; which in essence means that NNPC has ruled out any more explanation to the general public in a radio discussion.
There were however no available details anywhere including its website where the NNPC published the clarification it claimed to have made following the reports.
It will be recalled that Nigerians had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to swiftly investigate and bring to book perpetrators of procurement fraud in slop oil sales at NNPC during PRIMORG’s radio program held on September 29, 2021.
Another report by Premium Times said the presidency summoned the Corporation’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Mele Kyari, to the Presidential Villa over the procurement irregularities and corruption of due process about three weeks ago.
However, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) are said to be most affected by the procurement fraud at PHRC, particularly those in labour-intensive industries like textiles, cement, fractional distillation industries, rubber processing, food and beverages.
