"CSOs Want NNPCL to Account for Refineries Maintenance Funds"

"CSOs Want NNPCL to Account for Refineries Maintenance Funds"

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to account for the funds spent on the turnaround maintenance of the Port Harcourt refinery. The CSOs, led by Awwal Musa Rafsanjani of Transparency International, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), condemned the shutdown of the refinery and demanded accountability from public officials and contractors involved in the repairs.

Rafsanjani attributed the issue to corruption, stating that those involved in the earlier repairs of the refinery must account for the money made available. "What Nigeria is facing today is the collapse of responsible governance and patriotism by public officials," he said. "Everything is about the acquisition of public funds. It’s not about service."

The CSO leader expressed frustration over the continued spending on maintenance of refineries without commensurate repairs or upgrades. "Billions have been spent without any commensurate repairs or upgrades to these facilities," he said. "That is to tell you that public officials are only interested in siphoning taxpayers’ money; they are not interested in service delivery."

Rafsanjani condemned the shutdown of the refinery, calling it a manifestation of corruption and insincerity. "We condemn this act; after spending huge public taxpayers’ money, you close it down," he said. "Could you explain to Nigerians what happened to the money spent on the refinery? Was it that the money was not properly utilised, or what happened, and where’s the money?"

The CSO leader demanded that contractors and public officials involved in the refinery repairs account for the funds and return the money if it was misappropriated. "The contractors and the public officials who worked on these refinery repairs must account for this money," he said. "They must tell Nigerians what happened, and they must return the money."

Rafsanjani warned that if the new NNPCL management fails to pursue accountability, any reforms it intends to implement would be a waste of time. "If the new GCEO does not pursue the money, then any reforms he brings are a waste of time and dubious," he said.