ALJAZIRA

A group has petitioned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), based on the whistleblower policy, demanding a compensation fee of 5% after it gave the corporation reliable information on massive crude oil theft.

In a letter of petition addressed to the General Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, made available to AljazirahNigeria in Abuja on Sunday the petitioner, SAMANO SA DE CV through its solicitors, Lords and Temple, appealed to the GMD to facilitate its whistleblower compensation of 5%.SAMANO SA DE CV which is an oil and gas trading company, in 2015, was approached by a group in the Peoples Republic of China with the intent to sell 48 million barrels of crude oil believed to have been stolen from the Nigerian Government.

This massive volume of crude oil was stored in several ports and terminals in China. The Chinese group told SAMANO SA DE CV that the had obtained authorization from the NNPC to sell the products.

The company, however, sensed that with the massive wave of corruption sweeping through Nigeria, the crude was stolen from Nigeria.

This prompted the company to bring the information on stolen crude to NNPC’s notice.

SAMANO SA DE CV gave this useful information to high-profile Nigerians comprising of Mele Kyari (NNPC GMD); former Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; and Mr. Umar Mohammed.

According to the letter cited by AljazirahNigeria, in October 2015, the Nigerian Government gradually began moving the stolen crude oil out of China.

The company, however, reach out to the NNPC with their intention to legally purchase the stolen crude provided the option was available.

The petitioners subsequently reached out to Mr. Umar Mohammed to clarify its intention of blowing the whistle on the Chinese group in possession of the stolen crude.

Five years have passed and SAMONO SA DE CV has not been paid the 5% whistleblower compensation fee, despite writing to the appropriate quarters.

The company in the letter, have said they have useful documents to prove that these same stolen barrels of crude oil were illegally resold by some top government officials and top management staff of the NNPC.

The petitions, while appealing for their 5% whistleblower compensation fee, said they are open to being probed by relevant authorities, adding that the documents will be made available on request.