The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), to publish the full details of the country’s security expenditure.
The party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the call became necessary because of the figures contained in the recently audited accounts of the NNPCL for the 2024 financial year.
ADC stated that the audited accounts recorded N7.13 trillion under “Energy Security” for 2024, which it noted represents an increase of almost 14,800 per cent over the N48 billion “that once provoked national outrage.”
According to the party, when other fuel-related costs and receivables reflected in the accounts are taken into consideration, the amount rises to about N17.5 trillion.
“Nigerians deserve to know what accounts for such an extraordinary escalation and, more importantly, what value the country has received in return,” ADC demanded.
The party stated that while it recognises that protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure is a legitimate national priority, spending in the name of security cannot be exempt from public scrutiny.
“The bigger the bill, the stronger the obligation to explain it,” ADC added, pointing out that public reports have identified Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd., a company linked to Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), as a major beneficiary of pipeline surveillance contracts.
The party observed that the same Ekpemupolo recently emerged as a prominent mobiliser for President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
“These are facts that make transparency even more imperative,” ADC said, adding that Nigerians are entitled to ask whether public funds appropriated for pipeline security were being used solely to protect critical national assets, or whether the lines between state expenditure and political mobilisation have become blurred.
“Nigerians are entitled to know how much has been spent on pipeline surveillance and energy security since President Bola Tinubu came into office in May 2023, who received the contracts, how much was paid, what results were achieved, and whether any independent value-for-money assessment was carried out,” the party stated.
It added that at a time when families are struggling with the cost of food, transport and electricity, businesses are closing down and young people cannot find jobs, “Nigerians have a right to ask whether the trillions of Naira spent in the name of energy security have made the country more secure, the economy more productive, or the lives of ordinary citizens any better.
“If the answer is yes, the government should have no difficulty showing Nigerians the evidence. The question is no longer how much was spent. The question is what Nigeria has to show for it.”
