The Niger Delta Movement for People’s Rights and Development (NDMPRAD) has accused the South South Youths Initiative (SSYI) of conducting a smear campaign against ex-executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
According to the statement, made in Warri and released by the organization’s Executive Director, Dr Richard Oloige, the movement accused SSYI of being misled and spreading false information regarding the involvement of Tombomieye and the ex-group chief executive officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, in some problems in the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Read also: NNPCL Subsidiaries’ Debts Hit ₦30.3trn
SSYI claimed that Tombomieye is responsible for some of the difficulties associated with the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, including those linked with the $1.5 billion investment and crude-backed loans.
However, NDMPRAD has rejected these accusations as baseless, claiming that the misunderstanding of NNPCL’s organizational structure was behind them. It is necessary to note that Tombomieye worked in NNPCL as Executive Vice President (Upstream), while the operations of the refineries belong to the Downstream sector.
NDMPRAD believes that it was wrong to attribute the problems at the refineries to the actions of the upstream executive because it was a misinterpretation of his duties.
The body equally refutes allegations concerning crude-oil-backed loans and reviews by the Senate of the accounts of NNPCL, which it said were misleading and capable of destroying the reputation of the oil business.
NDMPRAD advised Nigerians to stick to facts in order to avoid believing lies, especially when such information is used to blame the government of the day. It added that there must be evidence to hold any public servant accountable in the petroleum business.
Moreover, the body discouraged the use of youths from the Niger Delta area for political purposes.
