The Arewa Youth Ambassadors have dismissed allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the former management of the Nigeria...
The Arewa Youth Ambassadors have dismissed allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the former management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), describing the claims as false and misleading.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the President of the group, Ambassador Muhammad Abubakar Sardauna, said the allegations reportedly made by the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, against former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, as well as Umar Ajiya and Bala Wunti, amount to a misrepresentation of facts.
According to the statement, the tenure of Kyari marked one of the most significant reform periods in the history of the national oil company.
The group noted that under Kyari’s leadership, NNPC was transformed into a commercially driven limited liability company in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), a move it said ushered in greater transparency, improved corporate governance, and enhanced financial accountability.
It further stated that during the period, the company consistently published its audited financial statements, a practice that had not been sustained for decades prior.
The statement also said the corporation strengthened its internal financial control systems and aligned its processes with international audit compliance standards, while implementing reforms aimed at improving operational efficiency and increasing revenue remittances to the federation.
The group expressed concern over what it described as attempts by the Senate committee to portray Kyari and other members of the former management as complicit in misappropriation without presenting verifiable evidence.
It warned that public institutions must exercise a high level of responsibility when making statements that could damage reputations and undermine public confidence in key national institutions such as NNPC Ltd.
The Arewa Youth Ambassadors therefore called on the Senate Public Accounts Committee to provide verifiable evidence to support its allegations, avoid statements capable of misleading the public, and ensure fairness and due process in carrying out its oversight functions.
The statement added that Nigeria’s petroleum sector has only recently begun to witness structural reforms aimed at transparency and efficiency, warning that attempts to distort facts or malign individuals who contributed to those reforms could distract from the progress already achieved.
The group also advised members of the public to treat the circulating allegations with caution until credible facts are presented.
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