The Good Governance Watch has slammed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye for lying to Nigerians when it declared that it has not imported a single liter of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol in 2025.
Soneye, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, had refuted reports that the corporation imported more than 200 million liters of petrol in February 2025 alone even though several Motor Tanker Vessels Reports confirmed it imported petrol.
National Coordinator of Good Governance Watch, Dr. Sola Johnson, said in Abuja on Thursday that the NNPCL must stop lying to itself thinking that it is deceiving Nigerians, who are better informed than the corporation and its spokesperson assumed.
Dr Johnson declared that:
“It is irresponsible of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to claim that it has not imported any petrol in 2025 and even went on to malign journalists who exposed its shady dealings by accusing them of engaging in lazy reporting and unprofessional journalism.
“We challenge NNPCL to dispute the Motor Tanker Vessels Report of February 10, 2025 which indicated it imported 37,000 metric tonnes of petrol through the Lagos ASPM terminal on February 10 on the ship Kriti Bay, another 37,000 metric tonnes through the Lagos ASPM terminal on the ship Kouris on the same day, imported a third shipment of 28,000 metric tonnes that arrived on Hapia Andre at the PWA/BOP/NOJ Lagos terminal and a further 20,000 metric tonnes of petrol shipped by Mycroft and delivered at the Calabar Mainland terminal.
“It is most unfortunate that while NNPCL’s Soneye was spinning his lies when the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) confirmed that half of the nation’s 50 million liters per day consumption was being imported. NMDPRA clearly stated that less than 50% of this daily consumption is contributed by domestic refineries such that the shortfall is sourced by way of imports in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, which makes the lies by NNPCL disingenuous.
“What makes NNPCL’s latest lies disheartening is because it has become a pattern of the corporation to constantly mislead Nigerians and the government even when the facts are glaring. The lies in this instance are about covering up the fact that the refineries the corporation claimed have started operation are not producing petrol or other refined products.
“The Good Governance Watch consequently demands that the NNPCL and its spokesperson stops lying to themselves thinking they are lying to Nigerians. We demand that the NNPCL and its leadership apologise to Nigerians for these lies while taking steps to sanction those behind this campaign of lies and scams,” the group stated.
It urged President Bola Tinubu to act and address the damage that NNPCL is doing to his administration while noting that the corporation would tarnish his administration with the stain of corruption unless he decisively acts to end the rot in NNPCL.
Nigerians rush to buy Dangote petrol
Legit.ng revealed that Nigerians have reportedly queued up at the MRS petrol stations in Lagos after a viral video surfaced alleging that Dangote Petrol has a low burn rate and is cheaper than the ones sold by the NNPC.
Another video shows long queues, and the recording says that despite no petrol scarcity, Nigerians have thronged to the MRS filling stations selling Dangote petrol as a result of a video comparing fuel from the mega refinery and that of the state oil firm.
However, a price difference could be a factor as MRS sells at N925 while NNPC sells at N945 per litre.
