The Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to initiate a forensic investigation into the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, concerning delays in the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects at the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries.
In a statement released by MSDND’s Publicity Secretary, Kelvin Orughoe, the group emphasized the necessity of the probe due to conflicting reports and timelines provided by Mr. Kyari regarding the TAM projects. They accused the NNPCL of causing widespread economic hardship, which they consider tantamount to economic sabotage.
The group highlighted discrepancies in oil production data. According to the Monthly Oil Market Report by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria’s oil production for June was 1.276 million barrels per day (bpd). However, they questioned why the Dangote Refinery is seeking crude from other African countries instead of Nigeria.
“The claims presented by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Monday are fabricated and intended to mislead the President and the nation,” the statement read. MSDND pointed out that while NUPRC reported an increase in crude oil production from 1.4 mb/d in May 2024 to 1.5 mb/d in June 2024, actual production was only 1.27 mb/d, and if condensate is excluded, the figure drops to about 1 mb/d per day.
They further noted that Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production fell to 1.25 million bpd in May 2024, a 2.34% decrease from April’s 1.28 million bpd. The Monthly Oil Market Report also indicated that crude oil exports were at 1.32 million bpd in February 2024 and 1.23 million bpd in March 2024, with Nigeria recording a $3.2 billion loss in the first quarter of 2024.
The MSDND accused Mr. Kyari of contributing to the nation’s economic woes and called for his removal and arrest. They also questioned the validity of the NNPCL’s recent claims about discovering illegal pipeline connections and refineries, describing them as attempts to distract from the real issues.
“There is an urgent need to investigate the likes of Mele Kyari and their cartel over their culpability in the alleged massive oil theft that is crippling the nation’s economy before it’s too late,” the statement added.
MSDND criticized the NNPCL’s handling of the $1.2 billion loan procured in 2021 to revamp the Port Harcourt refinery, which remains non-functional. They also raised concerns about other loans obtained for the Kaduna refinery and other refineries, questioning the whereabouts of the funds and the operational status of these facilities.
“The continued stay in office of the NNPCL Group Managing Director, Mr. Mele Kyari, despite his years of failures, will continue to jeopardize any and all directives of President Bola Tinubu for the security agencies to tackle oil theft in the region,” MSDND stated.
The group urged President Tinubu to take decisive action against the NNPCL and Mr. Kyari to prevent further economic sabotage and restore accountability within the corporation.
