Against the backdrop of economic downturn and hardship being experienced by Nigerians, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), has come under severe criticisms for its profligacy.
This followed revelations that its recent executive retreat in Kigali, Rwanda was embarked upon with five chartered private jets for the two-day event.
Checks indicated that the jets were chartered to fly the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bayo Ojulari, Board members and other top officials of the company to Kigali for the retreat.
It was further gathered that the chartered private flights were allegedly provided by Abdullahi Bashir Haske, the owner of Etihad Oilfield Services, an entity previously blacklisted by NNPC for cost inflation.
Haske is presently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for unpaid contractor debts.
Further checks indicated that in spite of the facts that the details were made known to the new NNPC Ltd Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ojulari, he went ahead with the arrangement of chartering the jets under circumstance that that was considered shoddy.
An insider source said; “More troubling is the fact that Haske is said to be the son-in-law of a prominent 2027 presidential aspirant. Is NNPCL being turned into a tool for political calculations? Is public money being used to fuel private ambitions?
“Instead of driving needed reforms, Mr Ojulari appears entangled in a web of political loyalty, corporate compromise, and personal connections.
“The recent impromptu resignation of the Chief Corporate Communications Officer who stabilised and converted the adverse publicity to better gain for the company, speaks volumes. It was no coincidence and left so much to be desired”.
An insiders told on condition of anonymity that the resignation of Mr Olufemi Soneye was as a result of a principled decision, and protest against Ojulari’s refusal to take hard decisions and his insistence on protecting entrenched interests.
The insider said; “Let us truthful to Nigerians, NNPC Ltd is not working. The corporation is sinking under bloated costs, unpaid debts owed contractors, and a leadership that seems more interested in luxury travel and loyalty deals than in transparency and progress.
“Five private jets for a retreat. Provided by a failed contractor under EFCC investigation, who was blacklisted by the same NNPC, is scandalous and not in conformity with the needed reform.
