The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has sought assistance from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to combat crude oil theft, highlighting the deterrent effect this crime has on investment in the oil sector.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, appealed for support during a meeting with EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Monday.
According to Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson for NNPCL, the company’s leader discussed the measures being taken to eliminate corruption and address crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
What NNPC is Saying
Mele Kyari, the NNPCL boss, spoke with intensity about the company’s determination to root out corruption and halt crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
He detailed the aggressive measures being implemented to cleanse the system and protect the nation’s oil assets.
- “As we continue to do our best to deepen transparency and stamp out corruption from the system, there is one big challenge that you will need to help us with, Mr. Chairman.
- “That challenge is crude theft. It fits into everything you have said—the people, the asset, the opportunity, and the absence of deterrence.
- “We have deactivated 6,409 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region. Today, we have disconnected up to 4,846 illegal pipes connected to our pipelines, that is out of 5,543 such illegal connection points. That means there are a vast number of such connections that we have not removed.
- “These things don’t just happen from the blues. They happen in communities and locations we all know. As we remove one illegal connection, another one comes up. It is sad, Mr. Chairman,”
- “I believe, personally, that the very purpose of your commission is to curtail economic crimes, and there is no bigger economic crime of this scale anywhere else than what is happening in this area,” he said.
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On the issue of corruption, Kyari said that NNPC Ltd. Must operate within a framework of high ethical standards as required by law.
- He explained how the company has introduced systems and measures to prevent discretionary behaviors that contribute to corruption, noting the extensive automation of processes to prevent arbitrary actions.
- On his part, the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, expressed satisfaction with NNPC Ltd.’s commitment to issues of ethics and code of conduct.
- He, however, challenged management to ensure that the codes of ethics and regulations are complemented with monitoring and enforcement to enhance deterrence.
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