Following the expiration of a 24-hour ultimatum, aggrieved staff of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), formerly known as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), staged a protest on Wednesday. They picketed and barricaded the Commission’s premises, demanding the immediate dismissal of the Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, over alleged fraud and abuse of office.
Dressed in black and red attire, hundreds of protesting staff gathered at the NUPRC complex in Jabi, Abuja, placing a casket bearing the inscription ‘RIP Fraud’ at the main entrance. They chanted, “Komolafe must go,” accusing him of failing to address concerns about mismanagement and poor employee welfare during his two-year tenure.
The staff called on President Bola Tinubu to either sack Komolafe or demand his resignation, to enable an unrestrained forensic audit of all contract processes and payments made under his watch.
Comrade Owan David, the National Treasurer of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), joined the protest and emphasized the staff’s commitment to peaceful protest as a means to voice their grievances. He warned that if the situation remains unaddressed, the union might withdraw its workers from duty posts nationwide to join the protest in Abuja until necessary actions are taken to salvage the commission.
The branch Chairman of the NUPRC workers’ union, Comrade Okechukwu Anya, expressed disappointment with the management’s response, alleging intimidation of staff union leaders who spoke up for improved working conditions. Anya further revealed instances of corruption, staff neglect, sexual harassment, and mismanagement of funds under Komolafe’s leadership.
The deplorable state of staff welfare was highlighted, including the commission’s inability to cover medical services due to unpaid debts, non-payment of statutory group life insurance and pension claims, and chronic underpayment of staff entitlements.
Additionally, Anya raised concerns about favoritism and patronage in the commission’s recruitment practices, with over 140 individuals hired without adhering to proper procedures and in violation of Federal Public Service rules and Federal Character Commission policies on equal opportunities.
In a long outline of the alleged fraudulent activities of the NUPRC boss, the workers’ union states: “Our investigation reveals that Engr. Gbenga has utilized his position to continually exploit the commission’s coffers to satisfy his interests.
“His flagrant disregard for the plight of his staff and the well-being of the nation is nothing short of scandalous and deserving of an urgent an unrestrained forensic audit of all contract processes and payments.
“Top on the list of his nefarious activities is the shameful non-payment of gratuities to staff who retired in 2022. Despite numerous pleas from these retirees and securing virement of about 10 billion Naira from the National Assembly intended to cover these payments,” he said.
He instead misappropriated these funds, donating an astonishing 4 billion Naira to political parties in the run-up to elections, in a blatant bid to retain his position and squandering the rest.
“Gbenga and the Commission’s Board Secretary, Mrs. Anyanechi Olayemi, are implicated in multiple instances of financial racketeering, using inflated contracts to legal firms to siphon corporate and collective funds from the commission, amounting to over 1 billion Naira in 2023 alone.
“Despite the commission’s technical mandate, Gbenga and his cronies have wasted a staggering 900 million Naira on dubious ‘sensitization workshops’, a further 500 million Naira on office renovations and furniture procurement, and an unconscionable 1.5 billion Naira on luxury transportation including private jet travel and first-class flights, in violation of presidential directives.
“In addition to these issues, the NUPRC under Gbenga is mired in infrastructural deficiencies and a decline in crude oil production, plunging from daily production of 1.672M bopd in 2021 to a worrying average of 1.452M bopd. This decline speaks volumes about the mismanagement and incompetence of the NUPRC under Gbenga’s leadership.
“This report represents the latest in a long line of scandals tied to the
leadership of Engr. Komolafe Gbenga. It is high time for thorough scrutiny, forensic audit of the Commission, and decisive action to end these outrageous abuses of power. The employees of the NUPRC and the people of Nigeria deserve better. The question that remains: will the authorities take action?” he said.
