‘Don’t Sacrifice Reforms to Rumours’ : CSO Defends NNPC Boss, Dismisses Resignation Calls Over Security Spending

A civil society group has come out strongly in defence of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, rejecting growing calls for his resignation over allegations surrounding the company’s security-related expenditure.

The Nigeria Citizens’ Watch for Good Governance (NCWGG) described the demand for Ojulari’s removal as unjustified and lacking factual basis, insisting that critics were misrepresenting expenditure figures contained in NNPC Ltd’s financial records.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, the National Chairman of the organisation, Collins Idowu Eshiofeh, said the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding of funds allocated to energy security and pipeline protection operations, which he said are essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s oil industry.

According to him, the expenditure being questioned was neither hidden from public view nor linked to any secret contract arrangement, contrary to claims being circulated in some quarters.

Eshiofeh explained that the funds were deployed towards protecting critical oil and gas assets, combating crude oil theft, securing pipelines and maintaining the integrity of infrastructure that drives the nation’s petroleum sector.

He argued that such investments have played a major role in strengthening crude oil production levels, improving operational efficiency and boosting government revenue through enhanced protection of national assets.

“The call for Engr. Ojulari’s resignation is baseless. The expenditure in question relates to efforts aimed at securing strategic oil infrastructure, reducing crude theft and protecting assets that are vital to Nigeria’s economy. It should not be interpreted as an unexplained or concealed expense,” he stated.

The group also pushed back against allegations that the expenditure represented a hidden form of fuel subsidy, stressing that security and asset protection costs are entirely different from government subsidy payments.

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Defending the management of NNPC Ltd, Eshiofeh said the company had made noticeable progress in promoting transparency and accountability in recent years, citing the consistent publication of audited financial statements and operational reports.

He maintained that members of the public have access to documents that clearly outline the company’s financial activities and compliance with existing legal and regulatory requirements.

“Anyone who carefully reviews the audited accounts and publicly available reports of NNPC Ltd will find evidence of increased transparency and accountability. These records are open for scrutiny and demonstrate adherence to established regulations,” he said.

The organisation further appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to be swayed by calls for the removal of the NNPC chief, urging the Federal Government to remain focused on ongoing reforms in the petroleum sector.

Eshiofeh stressed that debates around the oil industry should be driven by verifiable facts rather than speculation, adding that existing oversight mechanisms should be allowed to perform their responsibilities without interference.

“We believe attention should remain on strengthening reforms and allowing oversight institutions to carry out their work. Public discussions must be guided by facts and credible information, not assumptions,” he added.

The defence of Ojulari comes amid increasing public scrutiny of spending within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, with stakeholders continuing to debate the balance between transparency, accountability and the security challenges facing the nation’s petroleum infrastructure.