How exposing corruption caused NNPC director’s job

Facts have emerged as to why the immediate past Executive Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Retail Limited, Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, was sacked.

It was gathered that exposing corruption involving illegal diversion of petroleum products was responsible for her removal.

The House of Representatives committee on petroleum (downstream), which is investigating circumstances that led to the alleged diversion of 82.120 million litres of petroleum products owned by the NNPC heard that some powerful forces, who had a hand in the under-hand dealing, were responsible for the ex-director’s early retirement from service because she refused to play ball.

Mrs Nnamdi-Ogbue was edged out of the country’s top oil company in April and was replaced by Ibrahim Juma Dansure.

This is coming at a time when the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Usman Yusuf, was said to have been suspended due to exposing monumental corruption in the scheme.

The NNPC ex-director told the panel, chaired by Rep Joseph Akinlaja (PDP, Ondo) that her offence was reporting the matter to security and anti-corruption agencies.

The throughput contract involved the NNPC Retail Limited and Capital Oil and Gas, where the country’s top oil company used the later’s facilities to store over 97 million litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS).

However, early this year, when the NNPC Retail wanted to have access to the stored products, it was discovered that over 82m litres had been taken away without its knowledge.

Thus, the ex-director instituted an in-house probe on the matter to unravel what transpired. She reportedly submitted the outcome of the probe to the NNPC management, but that instead of taking concrete action against the staff involved, she was fired.

Sources within the panel told Daily Trust on Sunday that Mrs Nnamdi-Ogbue was used as a “scapegoat” to cover up “the mess” that some powerful individuals in the corporation have perpetrated.

“The woman was just a victim of circumstance. Apparently, she set out to expose the corruption that was going on in the throughput contracts. But some individuals thought she had stepped on their toes, so they edged her out.

“I think there was a cover up. It looked like they were used to doing this. But they didn’t give her any opportunity to defend herself. Why would they sack her only among the top NNPC staff? I think there’s much than what we’re seeing,” a member of the panel told Daily Trust on Sunday yesterday. 

Another member of the committee said from their background findings, Mrs Nnamdi-Ogbue was not part of the cabal that hijacked the throughput dealing to their advantage, hence they went after her when they realized that she was working against them.

“They knew that their days were numbered somehow, so they had to act quickly. The belief was that if the woman was left in the system, she would have exposed them one after-the-other. So, edging her out became their biggest instrument.

“From our independent and individual investigations, the woman is innocent. Remember, her retirement was even an early one. But we’re working round the clock to find out the true situation of what happened and those responsible for the mess,” the lawmaker said.

The ex-director had while responding to questions from members of the committee said at some point after she reported the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it appeared she became the suspect as men of the anti-corruption agency stormed her Abuja residence and took away documents related to the matter.

She said the NNPC management had compelled her to resign to avoid being “chased out” of the system, but that after she refused, they subtly promised to “deal” with her.

“When we forwarded the report (of our findings) to the headquarters, the staff involved were physically questioned. I was called to give clarifications on what I knew and when the matter came to my notice.

“Like I said, there was a debt backlog from Capital Oil, about N1.06bn, arising from the kerosene direct scheme. That was the basis for which we had the throughput agreement within which we were able to recover the outstanding monies.

“From the beginning, Capital Oil did not deny the fact that it couldn’t give account of the products in question. It was never in dispute that they took the volumes without our consent or knowledge in NNPC Retail.

“From the EFCC and the DSS, if you noticed, I have written the EFCC I think on the 10th and 31st of March. After I was invited to the EFCC on April 13th, that there was not other engagement. I had no further communication. I have been the complainant, and I have never seen the officer I had gone to make the complaint to.

“So, I was curious that I, being the complainant, have become the suspect. That’s what I know. I’m not privy to the engagements between the DSS and Capital Oil. I’m sure NNPC can give further light on that. So, where are we now? I’m sure NNPC is in a position to do that.

“We had a very robust structure, from the various levels all the way to operations for the management of our products in the various throughput depots. One of the things that, as a leader I did, was to resist the very,” she said.

Asked if she was investigated by the NNPC management on the matter, she said: “I was never called and investigated on this, and Capital Oil has owned up already.

“At the initial stage when the products were discovered to be unaccounted for, I was given a query to explain how the products had gone missing and I responded. But whether I had been found culpable or whatever it was after that, I don’t know,” she said.

On whether other staff of the NNPC Retail Limited were affected by the sack, Mrs Nnamdi-Ogbu said the then general manager of operations, the manager of distributions and the coordinator of private depots were all sent out of NNPC.

The chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah, had told the panel that he believed NNPC should not have sacked Mrs Nnamdi-Ogbue over the matter. He also confirmed the fact that his company took the 82.120 million litres.

However, while the NNPC said the value of each litre was N131, Capital Oil said it was N120.

Based on NNPC’s record, Capital Oil is to pay the sum of N11 billion, being the equivalent of the products taken, but the company disagreed with the amount.

Instead, Ubah said NNPC is currently owing his company N16bn, which the former failed to tell Nigerians.