CSO Defends NNPCL Boss Ojulari, Dismisses Resignation Calls Over ₦7.13 Trillion Security Spending

A prominent Civil Society Organisation, the Nigeria Citizens’ Watch for Good Governance (NCWGG), has strongly defended the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, dismissing widespread calls for his resignation as unfounded and politically motivated.

The defense comes amid rising controversy following reports surrounding an estimated ₦7.13 trillion expenditure on energy security and pipeline protection in NNPCL’s 2024 financial records.

Allegations Baseless and Misunderstood, Says NCWGG

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the National Chairman of NCWGG, Collins Idowu Eshiofeh, stated that critics calling for Ojulari’s removal fail to understand the complex operational realities of securing Nigeria’s vital oil infrastructure.

According to Eshiofeh, the ₦7.13 trillion figure is not a single opaque contract or hidden payout, but a comprehensive, nationwide security architecture designed to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining operations.

“The call for Engr. Ojulari’s resignation is baseless. The security expenditure in question relates to measures aimed at protecting critical oil infrastructure, curbing crude oil theft, and safeguarding national assets. It is neither a single contract nor an attempt to conceal public funds.”

— Collins Idowu Eshiofeh, NCWGG National Chairman

Key Breakdown of Security Spending & Measurable Results

The NCWGG highlighted several key areas where the energy security funds were actively deployed and the return on investment delivered to the nation:

• Advanced Protection Operations: The spending covers aerial and maritime surveillance, high-tech fibre-optic sensing, leak detection systems, community intelligence gathering, logistics support for security personnel, and extensive pipeline repairs.
• Significant Oil Production Boost: Crude oil output has risen from a low of 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2022 to an average of 1.5 million bpd, consistently crossing 1.6 million bpd (including condensates) in recent months.
• Crushing Oil Theft: Security efforts under Ojulari’s leadership have dismantled over 6,000 illegal refineries, removed thousands of illegal pipeline connections, and recovered millions of litres of stolen crude and refined products.
• No Backdoor Fuel Subsidy: The group firmly rejected claims that the spending acted as a hidden fuel subsidy, reiterating that subsidy removal remains in full effect and energy security spending is strictly asset protection.

Group Calls on President Tinubu to Ignore Demands

Describing Ojulari as an industry veteran with over three decades of experience—including previous leadership roles at Shell (SNEPCO) and Renaissance Africa Energy—the CSO maintained that his reforms are turning NNPCL into a transparent, commercially viable, dividend-paying company.

The organization urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to completely disregard the resignation demands, alleging that aggrieved individuals profiting from past opacity are orchestrating the campaign to halt ongoing petroleum sector reforms.

What Do You Think?

Do you agree that investing heavily in pipeline security is necessary to boost Nigeria’s daily crude oil production, or do you think there should be stricter oversight on security budgets?

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