The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Thursday denied claims made by the commission’s union members that the commission’s leadership had misappropriated cash.

In response to the protest and accusations made by the regional branch of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the NUPRC administration made this declaration in an Abuja statement.

The union filed various accusations against Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Commission Chief Officer (CCE), in an effort to draw attention to what they described as, among other things, the rising serious concerns affecting personnel welfare at the commission.

In response, the NUPRC administration said that the accusations were intentionally made to garner cheap attention and toss shade on the integrity of the commission’s CEO for simply evil reasons.

Regarding the alleged illegal recruiting, it asserted that the board’s exercise was completed in accordance with all protocols and was supported by a compliance certificate from the appropriate organ.

It stated that the claim of “appalling” worker welfare was unfounded and added that employees received all benefits and were fairly compensated in accordance with the terms and circumstances of employment, which had significantly improved during the time period.

The NUPRC stated that the issue of various claims and travel expenditures raised during the demonstration were occasionally reimbursed depending on the amount of money available.

It claimed that it was libellous and completely unfounded to allege that the management misused N10 billion in virement and gave billions to political parties.

The spreaders of false information are urged to provide information on the commission account from which the donations came as well as the accounts of the relevant political parties, where the N4 billion and N10 billion were put.

“Equally, the invoices used as the funding source for the gifts should be made public.

“There is no way N14 billion can leave the commission’s coffers without a trace, especially given how funds are allocated to the commission,” the statement read.

It claimed that the claim of contract inflation at the NUPRC was unfounded and added that the commission has adopted a sustainable model for the hiring and compensation of outside solicitors used by the commission.

The NUPRC administration claims that the commission’s payment of legal expenses complies with the cap established by the Attorney General of the Federation, who has the authority to make such a fiat under the Constitution.

The framework has made sure that the commission only hires the best solicitors, and the costs incurred for those solicitors reflect the cases’ complexity and high financial vulnerability.

The NUPRC management went on to say that there was no basis for the claim that it spent N900 million on “dubious” sensitization seminars.

It further stated that in order to achieve successful implementation, essential sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 have to be sufficiently made aware of.

“Specifically, the high rate of crude oil theft and vandalism of petroleum infrastructure, which has a disastrous effect on Federation revenue, makes it clear that there is justification for raising awareness of the terms of Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) throughout the Niger Delta region.

“The sensitization workshops were duly carried out by the Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) department in accordance with the scope of duties and responsibilities and approved by the competent authorities in accordance with due process.

It’s crucial to remember that 13 slots for sensitization campaigns were set aside in 13 key areas inside the oil production zones, and the programmes are currently running.

The executive commissioner HSEC may be contacted for “all documentary evidence, including publications and video footage of the campaigns,” it stated.

Regarding the allegation that it spent N500 million on renovations, it responded by stating that it inherited the offices from the long-gone Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which was merely a division of the long-gone Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“Given the NUPRC’s new and increased responsibilities, the commission’s offices around the nation had to be reorganised and renovated in order to handle its operations. This included the appointment of executive commissioners and the hiring of 140 additional staff members.

Therefore, some of the offices, including those in the zones and fields, had to be reorganised, renovated, and equipped to make room for more staff and to replace the outdated and broken furniture and equipment inherited at the time of start.

The NUPRC insisted that there was never a time when the commission rented private jets for the commission’s CEO and denied spending N1.5 billion on opulent travel, such as flying first class and on private jets.

The purveyors are urged to reveal the account information and invoices that back up the transactions described in their shady claims.

The classes of tickets for the purpose of international travel for all categories of personnel, including the commission chief executive, are explicitly specified in the terms and conditions of service as approved by the governing board in line with the provisions of the PIA.

The CCE acts under the direction of supervisory bodies put in place by the PIA 2021 and the federal government, it is important to note here.

The union had protested and blocked the office entry on Tuesday and Wednesday, complaining about poor welfare, the failure to pay for the medical care of colleagues who had been outsourced in 2023, and unpaid upfront allowances.

Other issues, in their opinion, include the failure to return pension deductions from employee salaries, an unfavourable work environment, a lack of adequate tools, and unpaid salary. (NAN)