The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), is presently in a stormy water of controversy as the present the Bayo Ojulari-led new management team seems to have a different agenda from the needed reforms expected of it.
When it is yet to overcome the public outcry over its extravagant spending it embarked upon in chartering five private jets to for a two-day retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, the nation’s Oil company has again found itself in the storm of another controversy bothering on allegations of breaching extant rules and regulations in the award of a ₦5.7 billion consultancy contract shrouded in irregular and far from being transparent.
Checks by Forefront News indicated that the contract in question was allegedly awarded using a single-source procurement thereby bypassed the required competitive bidding which completely violates the Public Procurement Act.
Insider sources within the NNPC Ltd expressed surprise that the company refused to call for tenders for such a quantum amount of contract neither did it conduct any form of open bidding, saying that this latest practice is far from what used to take place with previous management.
One of the sources said; “This is quite frightening as transparency has been thrown to the dogs. The deliberate omissions raise serious concerns about accountability under the current leadership of the NNPC Ltd.
“It is difficult to believe that a contract of N5.7 billion was being awarded without advertisement, expression of interest, and competitive review of potential service providers in spite of relevant laws. The procurement Act is clear and unambiguous”.
It was further gathered that the award of the N5.7 billion contract was implemented in spite of advices and warnings raised internally which pointed to the consultancy’s lack of strategic relevance, absence of reform-focused deliverables, and the failure to justify the huge financial commitment.
Forefront was further told that it was clear that the process of the award of the consultancy contract was driven by personal interests as against public good.
“This style of extravagance by the new administration cannot be part of the anticipated reforms. It’s clearly the opposite. This is not reform, but institutionalized patronage. How else can one explain the fact that public funds are being diverted under the guise of strategic engagement, while accountability is completely jettisoned,” the source said.
It is quite disturbing that the latest scandal is coming few days after the exposé of how top executives and board members of the NNPC chartered five private jets for what was described as ‘corporate retreat’ in Kigali, Rwanda and branded as a strategic session which only turn out to be more of a lavish political networking event with little or no value with regards to needed reform.
Expectedly, the Kigali jamboree and the selective and secretive consultancy deal have further sparked outrage among civil society organisations and concerned citizens who are of the view that the NNPC Ltd under the newly commercialized structure, must not replicate the cloudy, muddy and inefficient practices of the past.
The Senate of the National Assembly has of recent questioned the NNPC Ltd over some unaccounted expenditures running into trillions of Naira in a country that is grappling with economic crises., yet the nation’s oil company which is strategic to the economy recovery is assuming a dangerous dimension that may further worsen the nation’s woes.
Surprisingly, instead of responding to the serious allegations, the NNPC Ltd, on Friday, June 27, 2025 issued a statement claiming that it has uncovered an emerging coordinated sabotage campaign being waged by a syndicate of known and faceless actors, both outside and within various levels of the organisation.
It said that the group is actively spreading lies and misinformation simply to discredit NNPC Ltd.’s leadership and derail the organisation’s ongoing transformation into a corruption-free, performance-driven energy company, in line with the mandate of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The unsigned statement which only said it was issued by the management said that the tactics of the group include planting scandalous and fabricated reports, curated to distract leadership, mislead the public, and undermine the commitment of our dedicated workforce and reform-minded Nigerians.
It further said; “These are calculated efforts by those who feel threatened by reform, transparency, accountability, and change—clear evidence of the lengths to which they will go to obstruct the transformation of Nigeria’s foremost energy institution.
“We expect a surge of defamatory content in the days and weeks ahead. NNPC Ltd. remains undeterred. The transformation is underway, and no amount of sabotage will stop it.
“We urge our dedicated staff, stakeholders, and all patriotic Nigerians to stay focused, ignore the noise and not be discouraged. We remain on mission,” it concluded.
