PH Refinery: Coalition backs Senate, demands probe of Kyari

A coalition of over 28 civil society organisations across the Niger Delta has backed the Senate’s call for an investigation into the controversial rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery undertaken during the tenure of the former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had in June ordered the arrest of Kyari following his failure to appear before the committee investigating audit queries relating to NNPCL’s finances between 2017 and 2023.

The coalition said it plans to submit petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), seeking investigations into allegations surrounding the management of the country’s petroleum resources and the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project.

President-General and Coordinator of the Niger Delta Anti-Corruption Watch, Engr. Felix Oweifie Olotu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

Olotu equally announced plans to mobilise 10,000 youths for a peaceful protest and petition submission on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

He said the coalition’s petition would draw the attention of the EFCC and CCB to various allegations bordering on the management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources, financial accountability and the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project, among other matters concerning the former NNPCL management.

“We cannot allow Mele Kyari to simply go just like that. There are serious questions and allegations surrounding his tenure at NNPCL that deserve proper investigation.

“We are not asking anyone to be convicted without due process; we are demanding that the appropriate agencies investigate the allegations and allow the law to take its course,” Olotu said.

The coalition also backed recent calls by members of the National Assembly for Kyari’s tenure to be investigated.

Kyari had disputed the arrest warrant, saying he informed the committee that he was abroad for medical reasons.

Olotu maintained that the planned mobilisation would be peaceful, lawful and focused on accountability rather than a declaration of guilt against any individual.

He said public officials who had managed Nigeria’s resources must be prepared to account for their stewardship whenever credible allegations were raised.

The coalition called on Niger Delta youths, traditional leaders, civil society organisations and community leaders to join the mobilisation and support the petitions to the EFCC and CCB.

It also urged the two agencies to conduct an independent, comprehensive and transparent investigation into all allegations contained in the petitions.

The coalition insisted that if investigations establish criminal or ethical violations, appropriate legal consequences should follow, irrespective of the status or position of the person involved.

“The Niger Delta has a legitimate interest in how the resources of our region are managed. We will continue to demand transparency, accountability and justice through lawful and democratic means,” Olotu stated.