Yemisi Izuora
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday said he is committed to a robust relationship between the corporation and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to assist the anti-graft agency in its quest to rid the country of corrupt practices.
Delivering a goodwill message at the 3rd African Anti-Corruption Day and Round Table Discussion on Asset Recovery and Return, the new NNPC GMD noted that it was in the interest of the National Oil Company to support the EFCC and entrench the blooming culture of accountability and transparency in the NNPC system.
A release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu stated that the corporation’s GMD said the drive to achieve this objective was boosted Mr. President who, in his usual manner, had never interfered in the operations of the corporations or compromised any of its processes.
Kyari added that as the focal point in the Federal Government’s open partnership programme, it was imperative for NNPC to embrace openness and accountability in all its activities to allow for full citizenship participation.
He stated that before now, the corporation had taken bold steps to instill sanity in its operations by encouraging automation of its processes thus eliminating the use of discretion which is susceptible to corruption.
The release stated that under the new GMD’s watch as Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD), NNPC recorded visible transformation in the management, marketing and sales of the various grades of Nigeria’s crude oil through the infusion of transparency and automation of the processes.
As part of the reforms, the COMD as at last check had achieved 98 per cent automation of all transactions involving the supply, marketing and sale of Nigeria’s equity crude oil across the world.
Today, COMD is enabled to achieve an end-to-end monitoring of every barrel of crude oil sold in the country. Thus, at a click of a button COMD can provide information on how much crude oil is sold, at what price, who bought it and where it has gone to.
Commending the NNPC GMD for his anti-corruption stance, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who declared the event open, said it was encouraging to see Kyari and his new Management Team troop-out to identify with the EFFC and its drive to rid the nation of all corrupt practices.
Mustapha who was the special guest of honour at the event, called on Kyari to keep the Federal Government’s anti-corruption drive alive in the NNPC by sustaining the momentum of collaboration with EFCC.
Earlier in his welcome address, Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, commended the NNPC GMD for his interest thus far in the activities of the anti-graft body while pledging to work with the corporation to achieve its mandate of efficient management of Nigeria’s vast hydrocarbon resources.