Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC

Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC

A Civil Society Organisation, Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiatives (CGGCI), in conjunction with Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), has raised alarm over an alleged plot to sabotage what it described as ongoing reforms in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) under its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari.

The duo of Comrades Okpokwu Ogenyi and Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of CGGCI, and the President of HURIWA, respectively, declared that they would resist every attempt to blackmail the leadership of the NNPC.

Saturday Tribune checks revealed that a coalition of OilWatch Nigeria, Workers’ Rights Alliance, and Concerned Citizens Watch had on Thursday staged a huge rally outside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja, demanding the prosecution of the GCEO of the NNPC over an alleged financial scandal to the tune of $21 21million.

The CSO forum, however, claimed that forces behind the protests were being used to oust Bayo Ojulari from the NNPC and reverse the gains of the ongoing reforms in the national oil corporation.

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“We respectfully urge His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to remain vigilant and discerning regarding the motives of those peddling unfounded allegations and character assassinations against the GMD. These blackmailers seek to reverse the progress made and reinstall individuals who will continue the cycles of corruption that Mr. Ojulari is dismantling.

“The President’s choice of Mr. Bayo Ojulari was based on proven competence, credibility, and industry expertise. We must not allow deceptive lobbying to taint the integrity of that decision or disrupt the much-needed reforms currently taking root, as Mr Bayo Ojulari is clearly committed to Mr President Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The Forum further claimed that aside from the NNPC, those behind the smear campaign against the GCEO, NNPC, have also targeted other revenue-generating agencies of the Federal Government for smear media blackmail.

“There has been a deliberate gang-up against Mr. President and his people-oriented programmes for the country. The enemies of the country have infiltrated all segments of the economy, with a deliberate act of sabotaging Mr. President by blackmailing key agencies of the administration.

“Mr. Ojulari initiated a sweeping audit of long-standing, opaque contracts, particularly those involving crude lifting and infrastructure projects. This has exposed inflated costs and revenue leakages, many of which are now under internal review.

“Under his directive, the NNPC now operates a real-time reporting dashboard for critical operations—ensuring better monitoring of crude production, refining activities, and fuel distribution nationwide.

“Mr. Ojulari has ended several shady deals with unqualified intermediaries and shell entities used to siphon national resources. This alone has saved billions in prospective losses to the nation.

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“For the first time in years, whistleblowing and internal accountability are being actively encouraged at NNPC. Dozens of staff have been reassigned, and internal oversight units strengthened.

“The GMD has opened up collaboration with transparency-focused global institutions, signaling Nigeria’s renewed seriousness in cleaning up its oil sector image.

Despite all these and other pro-Nigerian policies, some corrupt individuals within the system are not comfortable with the ongoing reforms.

“We observe that some of them are in hand with major opposition leaders at night to sabotage this government through institutions like NNPC, but they appear as friends of the government during the day.”

It further applauded what it called the restoration of sanity in the downstream sector through the stable availability of petroleum products.

“The era of long queue at the filling stations is gone. The era of fuel scarcity is gone. The era of Nigerian sleeping at filling stations or buying adulterated black market fuel is far gone but these enemies of Nigeria are not comfortable and they are coming out as saints to cause crisis and majorly discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, their major target, by sponsoring protest and media attacks on the leadership of the NNPC. Nigerians must reject these individuals.”

Comrade Ogenyi said the smear campaign must be seen as a last-ditch effort by compromised forces desperate to hold on to influence and illicit benefits, saying Nigerians will stand with reformers—” and Mr. Bayo Ojulari is clearly one of them.

“We therefore call on all patriotic Nigerians, civil society actors, and media professionals to defend the truth, expose malicious intent, and support the genuine transformation of the NNPC.

“Under this leadership, Nigerians continue to have a reduction in the prices of petroleum products as pump prices of premium motor spirits have been slashed down.

“We wish to encourage Mr. President to continue with his reforms and not be intimidated by anyone trying to discredit his administration or appointees because Mr President has blocked leakages where corruption resides in the NNPC through Mr Ojulari’s credible leadership. We urged Mr President to continue to believe in the performing team across agencies of government.”

Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC