By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

A civil society organisation, Nigeria Citizens’ Watch for Good Governance (NCWGG), has rejected calls for the resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, describing the demand as unfounded.

The group said allegations over the company’s expenditure on energy security and pipeline protection were based on a misunderstanding of the measures required to safeguard critical oil infrastructure.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, National Chairman of NCWGG, Collins Idowu Eshiofeh, defended the reported N7.13 trillion expenditure on energy security and pipeline protection captured in NNPCL’s 2024 financial records.

He said the funds were deployed towards combating crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining activities through measures such as aerial and maritime surveillance, leak detection systems, community intelligence gathering, logistics support for security agencies and pipeline repairs.

Eshiofeh said the investment had contributed to improved crude oil production, noting that output rose from about 900,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024, with recent figures exceeding 1.6 million barrels per day, including condensates.

“Before the current security architecture was fully deployed, Nigeria’s crude oil production had collapsed to as low as 900,000 barrels per day in 2022. Today, daily production has been restored to an average of 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024 and has consistently surpassed 1.6 million barrels per day in recent months,” he said.

The group claimed that the security operations had also resulted in the deactivation of thousands of illegal refining sites, recovery of stolen crude and refined petroleum products, and the dismantling of illegal pipeline connections.

It dismissed claims that the expenditure lacked transparency, saying NNPCL had continued to publish operational reports and audited financial statements in line with regulatory requirements.

“Under Engr. Ojulari’s stewardship, NNPCL has become one of the most transparent public institutions in Nigeria. For the first time in its 46-year history, the company published audited financial statements that declared a profit,” Eshiofeh said.

The organisation also rejected claims that the security spending amounted to a hidden fuel subsidy, arguing that pipeline protection costs were investments aimed at protecting national assets and were separate from subsidy payments.

NCWGG described Ojulari as a professional with extensive experience in the energy sector and urged President Bola Tinubu to ignore calls for his removal.

The group said the NNPCL management should be allowed to continue implementing reforms aimed at improving transparency, operational efficiency and investor confidence in the oil and gas sector.

It also called on the National Assembly to conclude its ongoing review of the company’s security expenditure, expressing confidence that the process would establish whether the funds were properly utilised.

The group urged Nigerians to support efforts aimed at transforming NNPCL, citing improvements in transparency, profitability and crude oil production as signs of progress.