The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded a full public explanation from the President Bola Tinubu administration over what it described as the staggering rise in spending on pipeline surveillance and energy security, following disclosures in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) audited 2024 financial statements.
The opposition party said the figures contained in the audited accounts raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources at a time millions of Nigerians are battling rising inflation, high transportation costs, soaring electricity tariffs and worsening economic hardship.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that the Tinubu administration has questions to answer over what it said could amount to about ₦17.5 trillion in energy security-related expenditure reflected in the NNPC’s audited accounts.
The party noted that while Nigerians once fiercely debated pipeline surveillance contracts valued at about ₦48 billion, the latest audited financial statements show ₦7.13 trillion recorded under “Energy Security” for the 2024 financial year alone. It added that when other fuel-related costs and receivables contained in the accounts are included, the figure climbs to approximately ₦17.5 trillion.
Describing the expenditure as unprecedented, the ADC said Nigerians deserve to know what informed such a massive increase and what measurable benefits the country has gained from it.
“Only a few years ago, Nigerians debated a pipeline surveillance contract worth about ₦48 billion. Today, the audited accounts record ₦7.13 trillion under ‘Energy Security’ for 2024. When other fuel-related costs and receivables reflected in the accounts are taken into consideration, the amount rises to about ₦17.5 trillion,” Abdullahi stated.
The party maintained that safeguarding Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure is a legitimate responsibility of government but argued that national security spending must never be shielded from public accountability.
“As a responsible political party, the ADC recognises that protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure is a legitimate national priority. But spending in the name of security cannot be exempt from public scrutiny. The bigger the bill, the stronger the obligation to explain it,” the statement said.
The opposition party also pointed to public reports identifying Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a company linked to former Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, as a major beneficiary of pipeline surveillance contracts.
According to the ADC, Tompolo’s recent emergence as a prominent mobiliser for President Tinubu’s re-election campaign makes transparency surrounding the contracts even more imperative.
It said Nigerians have every right to determine whether funds allocated for protecting critical national assets are being used exclusively for that purpose or whether public expenditure has become intertwined with political mobilisation.
The ADC consequently called on the Federal Government to publish a comprehensive breakdown of all spending on pipeline surveillance and energy security since President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.
The party demanded the identities of all contractors awarded surveillance contracts, the amounts paid to each contractor, the specific services rendered, measurable outcomes achieved and whether any independent value-for-money assessment was conducted.
It argued that these are basic questions that should attract straightforward answers in any democratic society.
The ADC further maintained that with trillions of naira reportedly committed to energy security, Nigerians should be seeing tangible improvements in national security, crude oil infrastructure protection and economic stability.
It lamented that despite the huge expenditure, millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with soaring food prices, rising transport costs, expensive electricity tariffs, business closures and growing unemployment.
“If the answer is yes, the government should have no difficulty showing Nigerians the evidence,” the statement added.
The party therefore called on President Bola Tinubu, the Board and Management of NNPC Ltd., and the relevant committees of the National Assembly to immediately publish a full breakdown of the energy security expenditure.
“The question is no longer how much was spent. The question is what Nigeria has to show for it,” the statement concluded.