By Sabiu Abdullahi
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that the daughter of Senate President Godswill Akpabio secured a position in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) without going through the proper recruitment process.
The former Edo State governor made the claim during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. He spoke while defending his remarks on the Senate’s handling of matters involving the NNPC and the bench warrant issued against former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
Oshiomhole further alleged that Akpabio had a personal interest in issues concerning the state-owned oil company. He claimed that Kyari played a role in the appointment of the Senate President’s daughter.
According to the senator, information available to him indicated that the employment did not follow the standard procedure used for recruitment.
“Myself inclusive. The second is my response to the former chief financial controller of NNPC, whose tenure the investigation covers, who pointedly said to the committee that it is you people. And now I know that the Senate President said his daughter was taken by Mele Kyari and put in a, well as Nigerians we say, in a juicy position that he probably didn’t merit,” he said.
Oshiomhole also accused current and former officials of the NNPC of using their influence to secure jobs for relatives within the organisation.
“They all have employed their children, their uncles, their cousins, their in-laws into various aspects of NNPC and put them in different positions. If they carry out the payroll of NNPC, you will find that they’ve turned the top level to a family business,” he said.
Despite the allegations, the senator stated that there was nothing wrong with relatives of public office holders working at the NNPC if they met the required qualifications and were employed through the appropriate channels.
“You can only make an issue if you give them a job they did not merit, they are not qualified for, and you didn’t follow the right procedure. Well, somebody told me that the Senate president daughter was taken without, not through a regular interview, not through the normal, but that is his own problem,” Oshiomhole said.
He also responded to criticism surrounding reports that the Senate distanced itself from the arrest warrant issued against former NNPC boss Mele Kyari. Oshiomhole maintained that the National Assembly acted within the powers granted to it by the Constitution.
