The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking assistance in addressing the pervasive issue of crude oil theft in the country.
During an interactive session held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Monday, Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, passionately emphasized the need for concerted efforts to eradicate corruption from the system and curb crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. He highlighted the alarming rate of oil theft and the audacity of the perpetrators, labeling it as the most significant economic crime in Nigeria that requires the EFCC’s attention.
Kyari detailed NNPC’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal activities, including deactivating thousands of illegal refineries and disconnecting numerous illegal pipes connected to pipelines. He emphasized the prevalence of these illegal connections and called for proactive measures to address the issue.
Furthermore, Kyari stressed NNPC’s commitment to maintaining high ethical standards and combating corruption within its operations. He highlighted the implementation of automated processes to minimize discretionary actions that could fuel corruption and addressed misconceptions regarding corruption allegations against the company.
In response, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of EFCC, commended NNPC Ltd.’s dedication to ethics and code of conduct but challenged management to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement to deter corruption effectively.
The interactive session, initiated by Mr. Mele Kyari, underscores NNPC’s proactive approach in seeking collaborative solutions to combat crude oil theft and uphold transparency and integrity within the oil sector.
Quest: Cris-Edesiri Odjomah