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| The head of Nigeria's state oil company NNPC, Mele Kyari |
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has once again come under fire for its repeated unfulfilled promises regarding the restoration of Nigeria's refineries. Journalist Rufai Oseni encapsulated the public's frustration and distrust in a recent tweet:
"Believe NNPC at your own peril, the same man that says he will make refineries work 4 years ago and today all we hear is mechanical completion."
The skepticism is well-founded. Over the past eight years, the NNPC has been allocated substantial funds to rehabilitate the country's refineries. During former President Buhari's tenure, approximately $19 billion was reportedly spent on attempts to fix the refineries. Despite these vast expenditures, the promised operational refineries have not materialized.
In 2023, reports indicated that Nigeria had spent $25 billion on refinery repairs, yet the refineries remain non-functional. The outgoing parliament highlighted the enormity of these investments and the lack of corresponding results, calling into question the efficacy and honesty of the NNPC's efforts.
The NNPC Chairman's recent claims about imminent refinery functionality are viewed with skepticism by many, including Rufai Oseni, who doubts the credibility of these promises based on past experiences. The pattern of unfulfilled commitments and substantial financial wastage has eroded public confidence in the NNPC's ability to deliver on its promises.
The ongoing saga of Nigeria's refineries is a glaring example of governance failure and mismanagement. The billions spent without results highlight a deep-rooted issue of accountability and transparency within the NNPC. As Nigeria grapples with these challenges, it remains to be seen whether the current administration can break the cycle of deceit and wastage that has plagued the nation's energy sector for years.
For many Nigerians, the question remains: Can the NNPC ever be trusted to fulfill its promises, or will the cycle of broken commitments and financial mismanagement continue unabated?
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