NNPC to intensify anti-corruption drive, says Baru

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged to strengthen the anti-graft war across its value chain to ensure efficiency and optimisation of resources.

The NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, said this on Thursday in Abuja in a statement signed by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Department.

Baru was speaking when he received a delegation of Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria ( ACAN ) in his office.

According to Baru, the NNPC, as an entity that supports anti-corruption, has appropriate sanctions against staff found to have flouted established process and procedures.

He said the Corporation would work with the management of ACAN, the research and training department of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Tribunal, ICPC, to sustain its age-long tradition.

”We have retired some members of staff and meted out penalties on others who flouted our process.

”NNPC was the first agency of government to form an in-house anti-corruption committee soon after the proclamation of the ICPC Act.

”This action shows our commitment to transparency and openness in all we do; it also shows our zeal to ensure that our staff imbibe the culture of fighting corruption,” the NNPC boss said.‎

He said that the Corporation’s anti-corruption posture had been accentuated with the monthly publication of NNPC financial and operational report in national newspapers, on the NNPC website and other online news portals.

Baru said that the Corporation was prompt in its remittance of oil and gas revenues into the Federation Account.

He also said that the corporation had embraced the practice of conducting open public bid exercises in sourcing service providers and suppliers for operational requirements.

”These open bid exercises are usually covered live by major television networks in the full glare of representatives of the bidding companies.

“Officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Civil Society Organisations and independent assessors are always present at such bids.

”The NNPC is undergoing reforms anchored on full activation of the 12 Business Focus Areas, BUFA, with the cardinal philosophy of engendering an efficient first class oil and gas entity with clear-eyed gaze at transparency and accountability,” he said.

In his remark, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, Provost of the Academy, said ACAN was ready to help the Corporation to boost its anti-corruption quotient with apt capacity building sessions for staff and management.