The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has issued a formal statement defending Mr. Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), against allegations made by a group called “Concerned Citizens Against Corruption.” In their press release, the NDYC characterized the calls for investigation into Kyari’s tenure as an “orchestrated campaign of calumny” designed to discredit his administration.
The NDYC highlighted several achievements during Kyari’s leadership, including the transformation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation into a commercially-oriented entity, efforts to rehabilitate refineries through public-private partnerships, combating oil theft through strategic security collaborations, advancing the “Decade of Gas” initiative, attracting international investment, and implementing digital modernization across operations.
According to the youth organization, accusations regarding secretive debt arrangements with third-party companies like Matrix Energy demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of standard petroleum trading practices. The NDYC maintains that oil lifting contracts and similar agreements are standard industry instruments subject to regulatory oversight.
The statement concluded by urging the Attorney General to disregard what they termed a “sponsored circus” against Kyari, suggesting instead that his leadership should be studied as an exemplary case of corporate transformation and energy sector development. The press release was signed by Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, identified as the National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Congress.