CSOs Want Buhari’s Hands off Petroleum Ministry’s Portfolio

Rotimi Morgan/

Concerned over the sanctity of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to let go of the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Rising from a meeting at Golf-View Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, on October 6, 2017, the group called on Buhari to urgently relieve himself of the portfolio of the Minister of Petroleum Resources and appoint a substantive Minister for Petroleum Resources forthwith.

“This is to enable more efficient and effective management of this critical sector of the nation’s economy. This has become even more necessary in view of the allegations of award of a series of contracts at the NNPC up to the tune of a whopping $25 billion or N9trillion. And the President cannot be judge and arbiter of himself,” says a statement signed by the Accountability in the Extractive Sector Cluster (SACE PROJECT).

The statement further says: “It is particularly worrisome to note that the total contract sum of N9trillion is more than our current year’s budget of N7.6trillion. The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector are concerned that the President has kept mum since the allegations emerged in the public domain. We believe that this silence is ominous considering the enormity of the allegations and the amount involved.

“The CSOs hereby state as follows:

1. That Mr. President in his capacity as the substantive Minister of Petroleum should make a statement on the subject matter.
2. That the alleged violation and breach of Public Procurement Act (PPA) is antithetical to the anti-corruption stand of President Muhammadu Buhari, which has been the main thrust of his administration, and campaign promise to which the masses voted massively for him in 2015 General elections.
3. That we are worried at alleged insubordination of Dr. Makanti Baru, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to the Minister of state. This seeming tendencious disregard for constituted authority, if true, is capable of exacerbating corruption within the system. The head of service and secretary to the Federal government must investigate this and to ensure that lines of authority are respected within that ministry
4. That we are a loss why the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources would wait for so long only to speak up when matters have gotten worse. This smirks of weakness on the part of the Minister of state who should show leadership as Chairman of the Board of NNPC.
5. That we frowned at the attempt by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to make the matter an internal affair, The NNPC is a Public institution whose affairs cannot be made covert.
6. That the national Assembly has once again failed Nigerians. We are amazed that the unilateral award of contracts of such humongous sums could have gone unnoticed by the National Assembly when they are supposed to have oversight functions over the NNPC.
7. That the knee jerk approach of the Senate setting up a Committee to investigate this allegation is a little too late.
8. That the relevant committees of NASS must expedite action to pass the entirety of the Petroleum Industry Bill into law. We are convinced that if the PIB law was in effect, the country would not find itself in the situation we are today.

“The Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Transparency and Accountability in the extractive sector hereby restate our commitment to ensure probity, transparency and accountability in the extractive sector of the nation’s economy.”

The statement was signed by Dr. Harry Udoh of Support & Training Entrepreneurship Program; Mr Adesina Adefolahan of the Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative, Mr Akintayo Akinpelu of Youth Future Savers Initiative, and Biodun Oyeleye of New Initiative for Social Development.