Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) said it has been vindicated by recent comments made by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; and former Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), who is also a former Emir of Kano, His Royal Majesty Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; and the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, on the age-long shady activities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The umbrella association of all registered political parties and political associations in the country, in a statement signed by its secretary-general, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said that their comments have again brought to the front burner issues bordering on corruption at the NNPC Limited.
The CNPP questioned Mallam Mele Kyari’s annual profit declaration which it said was probably to blindfold Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari who incidentally doubles as Minister of Petroleum Resources.
It noted, “Within one week, three highly placed individuals, who should know, have questioned the viability of NNPC as being operated today and the competence of the current management team. On his part, the presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi who took a swipe at the top management of NNPC Limited over obvious incompetence, said they ought to immediately resign.
“But the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on the other hand, said that though the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari is trying his best, the company has failed and has no business being in the sector, because NNPC claims that subsidy has taken all the oil revenues, I don’t believe that.”
The group quoted El-Rufai who said, nothing has changed for NNPC because “They are still taking our money. They are still declaring profits that we don’t see.”
It agreed with the conclusions of the governor of Kaduna State, that NNPC is a big problem to Nigeria and unless we resolve it, it will bring Nigeria to its knees, saying that it had been its position over the years.
“The third among these scholarly citizens who have spoken out is the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and vice chairman of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who spoke specifically on the unbelievable fuel consumption figures being released by NNPC Limited on a daily basis.
“The shocked former Emir of Kano said, ‘In 2019, officially we were importing 40 million litres per day. In 2022 officially, we are importing 66 million per day. In three years, we have increased our petrol consumption by 50%,” CNPP said.
