The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr Bayo Ojulari, has finally broken silence on SaharaReporters’ recent publication that Adegboyega Fasasi, the President’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), and Usman Shugaba, the Chief Personal Security Officer, accepted a $1.5 million bribe from him to facilitate access to Mr President. The GLNNPC boss described the reportage as wholly untrue, malicious, and devoid of any kind of reliable proof.
“These are unfounded allegations,” he said. He and his associates never proposed, planned, or approved such a payment to the president’s security aides. “The accusation is merely a smear campaign intended to mislead the public and cast doubt on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s leadership,” he insisted.
“It is crucial to emphasize that the sensational claims attributed to anonymous “sources” have not been supported by any evidence. The alleged confessional stories are hearsay, cannot be verified, and do not meet any reliable journalistic standards.” Ojulari does not need the permission of security details to contact Mr President when he can easily put a call through, another top official hinted.
SaharaReporters is known for publishing stories that haven’t been checked out that are meant to make people distrustful, spread false information, and cause political strife. This latest lie follows the same old pattern of making things sound more exciting than they really are.
It is recommended that Nigerians view the report with the contempt it merits. There are already constitutional processes in place for Security Agencies to deal with accusations of corruption, so if true, let SaharaReporters publish the evidence to the claims or be sanction in line with legal processes
Mr. Ojulari is steadfast in his commitment to upholding accountability and transparency within NNPC Limited, and he will not be sidetracked by politically driven lies meant to damage reputations and undermine government.
