The South South Youths Initiative (SSYI), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and all relevant anti-graft and security apparatuses of the Federal Government to arrest and investigate the former Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, the former Executive Vice President (Downstream), Adokiye Tombomieyie and their co-conspirators allegedly involved in the $1.5 billion Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation and the broader ₦210 trillion financial scandal in Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar, on Sunday, the group stated that
SSYI representing the voice of the progressive youths of the Niger Delta region and South South in general were outraged over the continuous sabotage, monumental corruption, and blatant misappropriation of Nigeria’s oil wealth by the leadership of NNPCL.
“We voice the collective anger of millions of Niger Delta youths who have watched their region’s resources plundered under the guise of endless refinery rehabilitation projects that yield zero results.
“Grounds for our Petition:
1. The $1.5 Billion Port Harcourt Refinery Deception:
“We note that the NNPCL historically committed a staggering $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Years after this colossal sum was approved and injected into the project, the refinery remains dead, non-functional, and incapable of refining a single drop of crude oil. This is not just administrative failure; it is a calculated economic crime against the Nigerian people and the Niger Delta region. We demand to know where the $1.5 billion went, as the continuous postponement of operational deadlines confirms that the funds may have been completely drained into private pockets.
“We recall also that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration took $1 billion loan to fund the rehabilitation of Port the Harcourt Refinery. That loan was backed by a of 67,000 barrels of crude oil per day and repayment started in 2024, with maturity in June 2029. What this means is that we are using crude oil from the Niger Delta to repay loan for a non-functional refinery till 2029. That is a total of $8billion with an average price of $60. A loan of $1 billion and we are paying back $8 billion.
” 2. Accountability of Specific Officials: Mele Kyari and Adokiye Tombomieyie:
“We wish to state that the leadership of the NNPCL during this era cannot be refuse of culpability in this monumental fraud:
” Mele Kyari: The former Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL presided over an era of unprecedented opacity, broken promises, and fictitious refinery startup dates. He must answer for every dollar allocated under his watch.
” Adokiye Tombomieyie: We call out Adokiye Tombomieyie, who served as the Executive Vice President (Downstream) when these contracts were active and executed. As the head of the downstream sector, he directly supervised this failed rehabilitation.
“Apart from being Executive Vice President (Upstream), he equally served as the Chairman of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Upon the opening of investigation, we however, noticed that Adokiye Tombomieye’s photo evidence of operational visit to the Port Harcourt Refinery during the period when the refinery was been rehabilitated were no longer online. Perhaps he must have paid bloggers to delete all of such pictures.
“We view the actions of Adokiye Tombomieyie as a painful betrayal by an indigene of the Niger Delta, as he actively supervised and supported the waste of resources extracted from his own homeland. Instead of protecting the heritage of his people, he aligned with forces that have left our region economically castrated. He has by his actions proven to be a son of the soil who has brought economic desolation to his own people.
3. Full Support for the ₦210 Trillion Senate Probe and Senator Adams Oshiomhole:*
“We are closely monitoring the Senate Public Accounts Committee’s ongoing investigation into the staggering ₦210 trillion in unexplained and irregular financial discrepancies flagged within NNPCL’s audited records spanning 2017 to 2023.
“We wish yo state that we throw our unalloyed, maximum support behind Senator Adams Oshiomhole for his fearless, uncompromising stance against NNPCL’s deep-seated corruption. Senator Oshiomhole’s insistence that the law must be effective “when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit” mirrors the exact sentiment of everyday Nigerians.
“We also condemn any attempt within the political class to water down this investigation or protect corrupt officials. The ₦103 trillion in unaccounted liabilities and ₦107 trillion in unverified receivables must be completely unmasked.
” Call For Thorough Investigation/Arrest:
“We are calling directly on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and all relevant anti-graft and security apparatuses of the Federal Government to immediately swing into action. They should initiate a comprehensive criminal investigation, arrest, and prosecute Mele Kyari, Adokiye Tombomieyie, and their co-conspirators involved in the refinery rehabilitation scam and the broader ₦210 trillion financial scandal.
“We also want to state sa a group, we believe that investigating these individuals and prosecuting anyone of them found culpable will help to assuage for the sufferings of the Niger Delta people.
“We also wish to add that if the EFCC and DSS fail to commence a visible, credible investigation into these individuals within the next few days, the South South Youths Initiative will mobilize thousands of youths from across the Niger Delta states. We will storm and occupy the NNPCL Towers in Abuja indefinitely. We will paralyze activities at the headquarters until justice is served, accountability is enforced, and our stolen resources are accounted for.
“Niger Delta and South South youths will no longer tolerate the enrichment of a corrupt few at the expense of the impoverished masses of the Niger Delta”, the statement read.
