The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mr Mele Kolo Kyari, has been charged to immediately publish details of barrels of oil Nigeria produces and exports every day and the total amounts of revenues generated from oil since the removal of subsidy on petrol in May 2023.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project gave this charge in a letter dated 9th of December 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.
The organisation stated that there is a legitimate public interest in making public the information been sought regarding accountability in the area of spending and production activities of the NNPCL.
SERAP said lack of transparency in the amounts of barrels of oil the country produces and exports daily, the revenues generated and remitted to the public treasury would impact negatively on public interest and fundamental rights of citizens.
The statement reads in parts; “SERAP is concerned that despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the culture of impunity of perpetrators.”
“Combating the corruption epidemic in the oil sector would alleviate poverty, improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services, and enhance the ability of the government to meet its human rights and anti-corruption obligations.”
SERAP urged the NNPCL boss to reveal details of payment of N11 trillion as subsidy, and to clarify allegations that the NNPCL has failed to remit revenues generated from oil to the public treasury since the removal of subsidy on petrol.
SERAP noted that Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, citizens including her organization (SERAP) is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on the details of barrels of oil Nigeria produces and exports every day and the total amounts of revenues generated and remitted to the public treasury.
Recall that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had last week alleged that the NNPCL is failing to remit enough foreign exchange into the treasury despite the removal of fuel subsidy.
