Erstwhile Group Chief Government Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, yesterday declared that he was prepared to offer the account of himself because the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) continued with its probe of sacked officers of the nationwide oil firm.
Kyari, who was on the helm of affairs on the NNPC between 2019 and 2025, earlier than he was eliminated on April 2 by President Bola Tinubu, in a publish on his X deal with, maintained that he served the nation with the concern of God.
Earlier, THISDAY learnt that the EFCC had begun investigation into the alleged abuse of workplace and misappropriation of funds by Kyari and a former Chief {Financial} Officer (CFO), Mr Umar Ajiya, in addition to 12 others.
Aside from the duo, the anti-graft company had additionally prolonged its dragnet to different NNPC officers that headed or had been at varied occasions concerned within the rehabilitation of the government-owned refineries, which gulped almost $3 billion.
A former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua; not too long ago dismissed Managing Director of the Port Harcourt refinery, Ibrahim Onoja in addition to a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Fuel Firm (NGC) and the Warri refinery, Babatunde Bakare and Dikko Ahmed, ex-Head of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries are additionally underneath the EFCC radar.
A doc seen by THISDAY on the weekend additional confirmed that apart from the aforementioned officers, the EFCC had additionally requested data on former Group Government Director and CFO on the NNPC, Isiaka Abdulrazaq; one Ademoye Adeniji Jelili; Mustapha Magaji Sugungun, a former Kaduna refinery Managing Director; one Kayode Olusegun Adetokunbo; one Efiok Michael Akpan and one other former head of the Warri refinery, Jimoh Olasunkanmi.
Additionally, on the listing of these whose data the EFCC requested from the present management of the NNPC had been: One Bello Kankaya in addition to a Supervisor, Audit, on the NNPC, Desmond Inyamah.
THISDAY had additionally reported the sack of the Chief Well being Security and Surroundings (HSE) Officer of the nationwide oil firm, Mr Bala Wunti; and the Chief Compliance Officer, Lawal Sade, amongst 200 others.
Senior members of President Bola Tinubu-led administration had been additionally mentioned to be pushing strongly for the sacked officers to be tried if discovered by the EFCC to have dedicated any infraction.
They had been mentioned to have been miffed by the mismanagement of the nation’s commonwealth, particularly in the previous couple of years.
However in an obvious response to the media studies, Kyari hinted that he had been taking a relaxation for the reason that dissolution of the NNPC board, noting that he could be prepared to reply questions on his service on the firm at any time.
“I served not solely my nation but in addition God. I’m completely satisfied to account for my stewardship. Over the previous few days and particularly up to now two hours, I’ve been inundated with calls from involved household and buddies over claims by a web based newspaper that I used to be within the custody of the EFCC.
“That is clear mischief and a calculated try by the newspaper and its sponsors to realize a desired consequence, which solely they know. At current, I’m taking a well-deserved relaxation after the dissolution of the administration and board of the NNPCL, of which I used to be the Group Chief Government.
“It needs to be said that having served the NNPC and the NNPCL for 34 years, and 17 of these in administration roles and particularly the final 5 years and 9 months, I had little time for depart of even two weeks. So, I’m grateful for the chance to serve underneath their Excellencies Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I have to emphasise that I served with the concern of God figuring out totally nicely as a Muslim that if I don’t account earlier than man, I’ll account earlier than Allah, and that I’m higher off accounting to the establishments of man. Due to this fact, having served in public capability, I’m prepared and completely satisfied to account for my stewardship on this world,” the previous GCEO wrote.
Nonetheless, he defined that the resort to what he described as ‘disinformation’ doesn’t serve anybody’s goal, together with the NNPC and the nation usually.
In line with him, it has the potential to ship the unsuitable alerts to traders and the worldwide neighborhood.
Kyari urged the media to be circumspect and keep away from being ‘stampeded’ into deceptive the general public on unverified tales or issues which might be topic of additional validation by related organisations.
