Mele Kyari: Lawyers Storm AGF’s Office As Protest For Ex-NNPCL Chief’s Probe Continues

A large group of legal practitioners converged at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) at the Ministry of Justice in Abuja, on Wednesday, April 23, insisting on an immediate investigation into the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

Naijaonpoint reports that the lawyers, representing the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, expressed their commitment to eradicating corruption, particularly within the oil sector.

In a petition co-signed by Barrister Emmanuel Agada and Jonathan Uchendu, they expressed concerns regarding the numerous corruption allegations surrounding Kyari’s tenure at NNPCL, attributing these issues to the ‘opaque’ management style he employed.

They referenced the contentious rehabilitation and restreaming of government-owned refineries, where substantial funds were expended, yet the financial details appeared inconsistent.

The petition specifically mentioned Matrix Energy Limited, which purportedly invested $400 million in the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, despite the Federal Executive Council approving $1.5 billion for the same repairs.

Furthermore, they pointed out that NNPCL reportedly owes Matrix Energy over $2 billion, with the debt being serviced through daily crude oil allocations that remain unpaid.

The lawyers called upon the AGF to scrutinise all agreements made by NNPCL during Kyari’s leadership, initiate a thorough investigation into the dubious transactions, and establish a commission of inquiry into the management of the refineries’ repairs under Kyari.

The protesting attorneys pledged to persist in their efforts until Kyari is held accountable and the truth regarding the alleged corruption is revealed.

The petition added: “The Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law strongly believe that getting to the root of this matter will help the Federal Government to account for how public resources were squandered on the controversial refineries’ repairs undertaken under the Kyari leadership.

“In view of the facts stated above, we request that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to immediately review all agreements entered into by the NNPCL under the Mele Kyari administration.

“An investigation into the questionable transactions would also point the government in the direction of what funds to recover and from whom, which is sorely needed now, considering Nigeria’s economic condition.

“Furthermore, investigating all that transpired will set the stage for holding even the current leadership accountable while equally identifying potential pitfalls for those who are now in charge so that Nigeria is not caught in a loop of repeating the same mistakes.

“A fact-finding investigation be launched to ascertain how much the Federal Government has lost to such agreements and recommendations on concrete steps to recover identified funds. We demand for an immediate judicial review of all matters related thereto.

“The Guardians of Democracy And Rule of Law will appreciate it if the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation can escalate the issue to a point where the Federal Government institutes a commission of inquiry into NNPCL’s handling of the refineries’ repairs under Kyari and the sacked board.”

According to Daily Post, a deputy Director at the office of the AGF, Winifred Adekunle, who received the petition, promised to deliver it to the
minister and assured that prompt action will be taken.