The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has refuted claims of sabotaging the operations of domestic refineries.
Speaking at the investigative hearing on the $1.5 billion spent on rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Kyari said there is a targeted personal attack on his person and the NNPCL.
His words, “All of us here see what is happening in the media. Targeted personal attack on my person on the institution. And we all know how this works.
“They are deliberate, they are calculated. So, that creates the impression that NNPCL and our leadership are doing anything to create economic sabotage in our country.”
Recall that the management of Dangote Industries Limited had accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) of frustrating its refinery operations.
However, Mr Kyari said contrary to speculation that the company is sabotaging the nation’s economy, the NNPCL has grown over the years.
He noted, “It is far from it. This company has grown; we are proud to say this. From a lost company for 43 years to a profit-making company today.”
At the probe, the Senate Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate the Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry raised the concern during an interactive session with stakeholders on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, in Abuja.
The committee chaired by Opeyemi Bamidele said it was concerned over 1.5 billion dollars approved in 2021 for the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery with little or no result.
According to Mr Bamidele, it was unfair and wrong to treat public companies shabbily while private businesses were flourishing and thriving.
He said, “The federation is undergoing a truly challenging period. The distribution and supply of refined petroleum products have been irregular and problematic in the recent history of our fatherland.
“The long queues at filling stations are obviously a testament to this challenge.”
He added that the National Assembly was ready to conduct a full investigative hearing with all sense of honour and responsibility.
