Fresh Crisis as NNPC CEO and CFO Pay Themselves Billions of Naira as Gratuities

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is facing a new crisis following the payment of billions of naira in gratuities to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mele Kyari, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Umar Ajiya, according to sources who spoke with SaharaReporters.

Other top officials are also believed to have received payments. The payments are alleged to have been made despite the individuals being still in service. The sources say that the top NNPC officials acted out of concern that they would be retired by the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The accusations have prompted calls for an investigation into Kyari and Ajiya’s conduct, which has been described as being corrupt, including the collection of kickbacks from fuel subsidies and involvement in aviation fuel racketeering.

The news comes as the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Oil Theft investigates the loss of $2.4bn in revenue from the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil export.