The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and the Conference of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CCSGGG), on Sunday, warned people they described as blackmailers to stop agitations and repeated threats against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari.
The groups gave the warning during a world press conference held at the press centre of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja.
The press briefing was jointly addressed by the President of CSGGG, Dominick Ogakwu, and NAWOJ President, Ladi Bala.
Bala said the press briefing became imperative in the face of sustained unwarranted smear campaigns against the achievements and the continued progress of NNPC Limited as it charts the course of becoming the dynamic global energy company.
According to her, peddling gross misinformation and unsubstantiated allegations on oil pipeline rehabilitation project as well as surveillance contracts has now been adopted as a weapon of choice in the hands of the unpatriotic elements.
She stated further that it was obvious to all well-meaning Nigerians that some “wolves are expending a lot of negative energies to discredit the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, in order to push him out of office and have unfettered access to seize and manipulate state resources to their personal advantage.”
According to her, the recent attempts were not new and amount to red herring when there is absolutely no need or iota of truth about the allegations.
Specifically, Bala pointed out that the claim of ‘quietly awarding the control of Nigeria’s pipelines to a Northern oil cabal’ was not only fallacious, figment of the writers and their sponsors’ imaginations but cowardly, and begs the question.
She said, “First, for those who understands contracting process and are willing to be unbiased in their judgement, to award such a contract requires tender notices in form of advertisements which were made public for qualified companies to bid.
“The process for the contracts awards, as has been the case since Mallam Kyari assumed office, remains rigorous in line with industry norms.
“Each bidding company has been subjected to a competitive tender selection process as guided by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and a transaction advisor.
“These regulatory institutions had to also worked with the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Ministry of Justice in the project development and evaluation exercise.
“So, it stands against reasoning that after such a rigorous process, anything untoward will be suggested by any rational mind.”
She added, “Findings show that the winning companies do not suggest otherwise as seen below:
“LOT 1: Oilserve Ltd, Chu Kong Steel Pipe Group Company Ltd, Saudi Crown Oilserve.
“LOT 2: MacReady Oil and Gas Services, COBRA Instalicios S.A, Control Y Montajes Industriales & International De Pipelines, Iron Products Industries Ltd, Batelitwin Global Services Ltd, Bauen Empresa Constructora SAU, Sanderton Energy Ltd, The Spanish National Association of Manufacturers.
“LOT 3: A A Rano, Zakhem Construction Nigeria, Bablinks Resources Ltd, VAE Controls S.R.O.
“LOT 4: MRS Oil and Gas, CPPE Nigeria Ltd.
“Furthermore, we are not unmindful that some individuals are double bent on creating mountains out of nothing over the award of pipeline surveillance contracts to qualified and performing entities and not them.
“Pipeline surveillance is not a tea party as recent events have shown. Therefore, being an –ex-militant is not enough qualification to be awarded such a critical task.”
The groups stated further that the priority of NNPC Limited was to ensure a safe and secure oil infrastructure and functional pipeline corridor to sustainably deliver national production targets.
“There is nothing personal to Mele Kyari and management NNPC Limited, rather than what is possible and best for the country,” she added.
Speaking on some of the achievements of the NNPCL boss, she said that since Kyari’s appointment in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari as GCEO of the successor company to the defunct NNPC, Kyari has been guided by his roadmap to Global Excellence anchored on the principles of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE).
She stated, “In about this period, Nigeria’s oil production has seen significant improvement through the curbing of waves of mindless theft of Nigeria’s oil by criminal elements.
“This initiative has seen many seizures of tankers laden with illegal crude and the discovery of a four-kilometer illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation for nine years.
“Nigerians will not be wrong to believe that beneficiaries of this heinous economic crime will fight back in anyway their influence can afford as their pockets get dry.
“Today, our country is witnessing spike in oil production to over 1.8 million barrels per day, in addition to regaining our national position as the largest crude oil producer in Africa, ahead of Algeria’s 1.021mb/d and Angola’s 1.088mb/d.
“It remains on record that in 2022, NNPC Limited under the astute leadership of Mele Kyari has for two-consecutive years recorded a profit. Nigerians have seen NNPC making profit for the first time in 44 years. Growing from N287 billion in 2020 to N674.1 billion in the 2021 financial period.
“The figure represented an increase of N387 billion or 134.8 per cent when compared to the previous profit recorded in 2020.
“Aside recording profit for the company, Kyari has also led the NNPC Limited to resolve age-old disputes with its business partners notably the International Oil Companies (IOCs).
“Consequently, the NNPC and the IOCs signed various Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) agreements that would ensure the production of about 10 billion barrels of crude oil and generate over $500bn revenue.
“The agreements are the Production Sharing Agreement, Dispute Settlement Agreements, Settlement Repayment Agreement and Escrow Agreement.
“In 2022, NNPC Limited under Kyari, sealed a $1.4 billion external project finance agreement for hydrocarbon projects in the Niger Delta. Codenamed Project Panther (under the NNPC Limited/Chevron Nigeria Limited joint venture), the agreement was signed at a ceremony in London.
“That same 2022, NNPC Limited pursuant to its vision of maintaining a leading position in the Nigerian petroleum downstream sector, acquired OVH Energy Marketing (OVHEM), owner and operator of the Oando downstream assets.
“Through this acquisition, NNPC Retail Limited will build on the existing success of OVH and operate model service outlets leveraging OVH’s extensive asset base and commercial capabilities.
“But by far one of the most impressive accomplishments of Kyari’s stewardship at NNPC Limited is the flagging off in November 2022 of the Kolmani Integrated Development Project marking the commencement of effort to exploit and commercialize the oil discovered in Bauchi/Gomber axis.”
On the issue of refineries, the groups said the timeline of December remains for the Port Harcourt Refinery to be back on stream and ameliorate the present difficulty occasioned by a spike in forex.
“It must be stated that the NNPCL has no controls over monetary and fiscal policies but has continued to work hard to address forex shortages through strategic interventions in this regard,” she pointed out.
The NAWOJ President added, “We urge those who are hellbent to undermine the transformative leadership of President Bola Tinubu to have a rethink and stop the meaningless agitations and threats.
“Rather they can add a positive voice to support the progress and growth of NNPC Limited under the patriotic leadership of Mele Kyari. We have only one country to build.”