The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, on Thursday said no government agency is more open than the corporation.
Baru spoke to reporters in Abuja after unveiling bids submitted by insurance brokers for the insurance of NNPC’s oil and non-oil assets and liabilities for the year 2018/2019.
The NNPC boss said the public opening of bids has become part of its tradition aimed at promoting transparency.
But when asked why NNPC has been accused of being too opaque despite all its efforts to open up its activities, Baru replied that being chief executive of the corporation he had learned that a lot of people do not know what NNPC is all about.
“I give them the benefit of doubt and I am very patient to explain to people what NNPC is and how NNPC is working,” he said.
“In terms of transparency and accountability, I can guarantee you that there is no other government agency that is more open than us. We are the first government agency, maybe the only one that is still publishing its account on monthly basis and unfailingly. That is the uppermost point of transparency,” Baru said.
He added: “The same thing with our processes, (they) are always open. We have done bid openings here: for crude oil contract off takers, for shipping, and just now insurance. We have been opening all our bids to international media and to the general public.
“I think NNPC is the most misunderstood organisation but we are patient and we will continue to explain not just to the general public but to the National Assembly.
“If at the time that we had no fuel the National Assembly was on our neck and they gave us two weeks to clear fuel queues.
“We did what was right, cleared the fuel queues. Now they are in the comfort of driving and feeling comfortable. Then, they now say we violated processes in the process of removing the queues. I think it is quite unfair the way people perceive NNPC,” the GMD said.
