Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has dismissed allegations that staff of the company are behind substandard importation of petroleum products into the country.
Speaking Wednesday when he appeared before a Senate Ad-hoc Committee over alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry, Kyari said he as the CEO, as well as the NNPCL had faced undue media attacks from persons doing everything to create the impression that the company is sabotaging the nation’s economy.
“NNPCL is faithful and will not lie to the country. We are not criminals and we are not thieves. We will protect our dignity so we can serve this country,” he said.
Speaking further, he revealed that the oil and gas industry is bleeding, adding that there were things they knew but could not talk about in public until “the time comes”.
This comes following recent controversies trailing the company and its operations.
Speaking at the house of representatives in July, President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, reportedly said some personnel of NNPCL, oil traders and terminals have opened a blending plant in Malta.
The billionaire said the areas of the blending plants are known.
“Some of the terminals, some of the NNPCL people and some traders have opened a blending plant somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing,” the billionaire reportedly said.
Reacting to the allegation, Kyari, in a post via X, said he was not aware of any employee of the NNPCL that owns or operates a blending plant in Malta or anywhere else in the world.
He, however, said blending plants in Malta or any part of the world has no influence over NNPC’s business operations and strategic actions.
