Smear campaign involving allegations of oil sabotage against NNPCL’s Adokiye.

The Executive Vice President of the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Tombomieye Adokiye, has been accused of sabotaging oil facilities, but the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC) has called the accusations “lies” spread by cunning fifth columnists.

It specifically warned the anonymous “Niger Delta Youths and Stakeholders Congress” to refrain from being used as a pawn to damage the well-earned reputation of the only Niger Deltan holding such a sensitive office in the NNPCL in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, Delta state, on Saturday.

The statement, which was signed by its Board of Trustee’s Chairman, Cleric Ebikonbowei Alaowei, Esq., urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to continue ignoring the alleged petition by the group to name and shame those behind the blackmailers. It claimed the faceless group is being sponsored by some vested interest coveting the office of Mr. Adokiye.

The said group had in a petition dated January 28, 2022 and addressed to the EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, alleged that Adokiye was deliberately sabotaging the economy of Nigeria through alleged sponsorship of crude oil bunkering and theft and deliberately excluded core Niger Delta youths and other stakeholders from all NNPC concessional empowerment in the upstream subsidiaries.

The petition, which was just made public online, also charged Adokiye with planning to incite a major uprising and crisis in the oil-rich region in order to open negotiations for his appointment as NNPCL’s CEO.

The claim reads as follows: “The allegations of sabotage of oil facilities made against Mr. Tombomieye Adokiye, Executive Vice President of the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), by one anonymous group of stomach hustlers, are the work of some vested interests coveting Mr. Adokiye’s office, particularly his soon-to-be promoted office.

“Some vested interests and born-to-rule crusaders are jealous of the position held by the sole Niger Deltan in such a delicate position. So they enlisted some eager helpers to launch smear campaigns against the man.

The Niger Delta Youths and Stakeholders Congress allegedly petitioned the EFCC against Mr. Tombomieye Adokiye, but this is a fallacy of ad baculum and did not merit the EFCC’s attention.

We’re not surprised that the Commission decided not to respond to the alleged petition’s cheap lies, which were created to further a fundamental goal of their sponsors. We advise the aforementioned Group to get involved in worthwhile projects rather than acting as a pawn on a chessboard.

“I find it revolting that people will fabricate baseless lies against an innocent man simply because they want his job.

“We issue a warning to those who oppose progress to stop their evil deeds. Nigeria is our collective property. We are aware of who is responsible for the crude and inflammatory attacks against Mr. Adokiye. The man should be free to perform his job duties for the company without interference.

The Niger Delta did not incite people to launch an attack on the people who controlled the NNPCL management board, despite the fact that this was happening in violation of the Federal Character Act and to the resentment of the local populace.

“Adokiye ought to be given space to manage the business of his office. The accusations made against him by that anonymous group were completely without foundation. Such illogically pernicious lies can only be believed by a narrow-minded person.

(TNT)