NNPC: No Truth in NANS Bribery, Ondo Poll Funding Allegations

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday refuted allegations that it bribed some students to shun any move to protest against the deregulation policy of government as well as accusations that it funded the alleged buying of votes in Ondo State.

The Corporation stated that the allegation that it paid the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and provided funds for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to buy votes in the just concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election, was far-fetched. Aside reports in two online media, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, had also told journalists in Abuja that an unnamed management official of the NNPC, through another unnamed North-west APC governor diverted huge amounts of money in dollars to fund the vote-buying.

“Perhaps, Governor Mala Buni is not aware that information available in the public space and to the PDP showed that a very top-level management official of the NNPC, through a North-west governor elected on the platform of the APC, diverted huge amounts of money, in dollars, from our nation oil resources to fund vote-buying in the Ondo election. “Instead of begging the PDP for a congratulatory message, Governor Buni should rather speak to this disturbing stealing of oil money to fund his party’s vote-buying at the expense of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the increase in the pump price of fuel and corruption in the oil sector under the APC, ”the party had said.

But in a press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the corporation described the reports as mischievous and contrived allegations.

It stated that they were without any substance in truth, ostensibly designed to serve the selfish ends of their sponsors to bring NNPC to disrepute and tarnish the corporation’s image.

On the “alleged bribe or COVID-19 palliative” to NANS published by an online medium, the NNPC said it received a letter dated April 22, 2020, from NANS signed by one Comrade Danielson Akpan, requesting for financial support to enable the association provide palliatives to students.

The corporation stated that the letter said the palliatives were for students who were stranded at various schools during the lockdown, a request it said the corporation could not honour due to the peculiar circumstances and financial constraints thrown up by the global oil market meltdown.

Concerning the allegation of providing funds to support a political party, the APC, in buying votes during the Ondo State gubernatorial election published by a blog, the corporation explained that the NNPC was owned by the federation and indeed, all Nigerians, hence, it was non-partisan and did not engage in sponsorship of political parties or causes.

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