$22.8bn Fresh Allegation: NNPC Decries Campaign Of Calumny

                          

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has decried what it termed as an orchestrated campaign of calumny to tarnish its image by some unscrupulous elements.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Dr Omar Ibrahim, Acting Group General Manager, NNPC Group Public Affairs Division.

The statement cited the deliberate misrepresentation of the presentation made by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) before the Rep. Muraina Ajibola-led Joint House Committee probing the Berne Declaration Report.

It stated that the report was an example of the well-orchestrated negative campaign targeted at the corporation.

“Some of the reports had sensational headlines alleging that NEITI had uncovered fresh unremitted $22.8 billion oil revenue by the NNPC.

“However, the body of the story was totally different from the headlines in terms of message and content”, it said.

It said after a careful perusal of the original presentation made by the NEITI Executive Secretary, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, it discovered that the sensational headlines were mere inventions.

According to the statement, this is a calculated attempt to cast aspersion on the image of the corporation and heat up the polity.

“We wish to state that there is nothing farther from the truth. NNPC has a copy of the presentation made by Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, Executive Secretary of NEITI.

“And nowhere did she allege that NNPC failed to remit $22.8 billion to the Federation Account.

“We are convinced that there is a conspiracy by some groups or individuals to drag down the name of the corporation by whatever means possible”, It said.

It said that despite the obvious negative campaign against the corporation, the management of the NNPC under the leadership of Engr. Andrew Yakubu remains undaunted and determined to achieve its mandate.