‘Lack of Accountability Responsible for Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Woes’

A RETIRED Director of the Nigerian Upstream Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), now Petroleum Regulatory Commission (PRC), Ben Anene Osuno, has said that lack of accountability is one of the reasons the petroleum industry is in shambles.

He stated this at a colloquium organised in his honour to mark his 88th birthday scheduled to take place in February.

According to him, “In those days, there were daily, weekly, monthly and yearly reports. I don’t know how people say they don’t know what is being produced,” he said.

Osuno, who was also Nigeria’s Governor to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 19791990, said the country’s crude oil had reduced from 2.4 million barrels per day in the 90s to less than 1.7 million currently, despite the country having more people and more funds to do the job.

He said, “The current delay caused by the number of regulators in both the downstream and upstream sectors has made granting approvals more cumbersome and expensive. Some years ago when the country was producing 2.4mbpd and very few companies were working with no problems, but today, there are many more firms and much more money. The control of the industry is too heavy, yet, we cannot produce one million barrels per day. If you do 1.7mbpd, you are happy. And you spend so much money to control that 1.7mbpd. When it was 2.4mbpd, how much was being spent to supervise?”

Speaking about the celebrant, families, friends and colleagues, all gave positive testimonies about Osuno, describing him as an embodiment of professionalism, humility, integrity, modesty, selflessness, a contented person and a gentleman to the core.