Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to disclose full details of the N7.13 trillion recorded as energy security expenditure in the company’s 2024 audited accounts.
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, demanded for the disclosure of all beneficiaries, payments made, the outcomes achieved and any independent audit of the expenditure.
The party added that since Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, whose company, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, has been publicly identified as a major pipeline surveillance contractor, is also a prominent mobiliser for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, it is imperative for full transparency on the expenditure.
It said: “The ADC has taken note of the figures contained in the recently audited accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) for the 2024 financial year.
The figures raise questions that cannot be ignored by the Tinubu-led APC government. Only a few years ago, Nigerians debated a pipeline surveillance contract worth about N48 billion.
“Today, the audited accounts record N7.13 trillion under “Energy Security” for 2024. That represents an increase of almost 14,800 percent over the figure that once provoked national outrage. When other fuel-related costs and receivables reflected in the accounts are taken into consideration, the amount rises to about N17.5 trillion.
Other News
“Nigerians deserve to know what accounts for such an extraordinary escalation and more importantly, what value the country has received in return.
As a responsible political party, the ADC recognises that protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure is a legitimate national priority.
“But spending in the name of security cannot be exempt from public scrutiny. The bigger the bill, the stronger the obligation to explain it.”
The party noted that “public reports have consistently identified Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, a company linked to Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), as a major beneficiary of pipeline surveillance contracts. At the same time, Ekpemupolo has recently emerged as a prominent mobiliser for President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
“These are facts that make transparency even more imperative. Nigerians are entitled to ask whether public funds appropriated for pipeline security are being used solely to protect critical national assets, or whether the lines between state expenditure and political mobilisation have become blurred.
“In this regard, Nigerians are entitled to know how much has been spent on pipeline surveillance and energy security since President Bola Tinubu came into office in May 2023, who received the contracts, how much was paid, what results were achieved and whether any independent value-for-money assessment was carried out. These are ordinary questions that, in any democracy, should attract ordinary answers.
“At a time when families are struggling with the cost of food, transport and electricity, when businesses are closing their doors and young people cannot find jobs, Nigerians have a right to ask whether the trillions of Naira spent in the name of energy security have made the country more secure, the economy more productive or the lives of ordinary citizens any better. If the answer is yes, the government should have no difficulty showing Nigerians the evidence.”
