A Lagos-based lawyer has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), demanding transparency over the staggering N11.3 trillion reportedly spent on rehabilitating the country’s four government-owned refineries.
Abdul-Ganeey Imran, principal partner of Brown & Cooper Solicitors, sent the request to NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, citing concerns raised by a report from the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the State of Refineries. The report alleged that the Federal Government had funneled over N11 trillion into refinery rehabilitation between 2010 and 2024, yet Nigeria’s refining capacity remains abysmal.
In his letter, dated 24 September 2024, Imran sought confirmation of the N11.3 trillion figure or a corrected amount, while demanding a breakdown of the sums allocated specifically to the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries during this period. He questioned the rationale behind such vast expenditure, given the current non-functionality of the refineries and the lack of impact on the economy.
“If the figures being circulated are incorrect, can the NNPC provide the total amount spent on the turnaround maintenance of these refineries since 2010?” Imran asked, further inquiring about the status of the $1.5 billion loan taken in 2021 for the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation, which drew public outrage due to its comparison with the far cheaper sale of Shell’s Martinez Refinery in the United States that same year.
The letter, titled “Freedom of Information Request on the Status of the Four Government-Owned Refineries in Nigeria in Relation to the Recent Hike in the Price of Premium Motor Spirits (PMS),” also highlighted NNPC’s assurances that Nigeria would soon become a net exporter of petroleum products, promises that remain unfulfilled.
Imran’s concerns come in the wake of mounting public frustration over skyrocketing fuel prices, now exceeding N1,000 per litre, and persistent questions surrounding the NNPC’s management of the nation’s petroleum sector. He referenced recent allegations from government bodies, including the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, about unremitted funds and withheld subsidies amounting to trillions of naira.
“Does the NNPC or the government have the moral authority to justify this insensitive and callous increase in fuel prices?” the lawyer asked, signalling a growing chorus of voices demanding accountability from Nigeria’s state-run petroleum giant.
