The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has condemned the attempt by some groups to blackmail and extort the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, describing the latest campaign against the NUPRC boss as reprehensible and must be condemned in the strongest terms.
The head of the coalition, Comrade Shina Loremikan, expressed this concern on Monday at a press conference held in Lagos, saying that the allegations of compromising marginal fields in the bid round of 13 oil fields levelled against the NUPRC boss were baseless.
Loremikan, while expressing the strong commitment of the coalition to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability in all spheres of governance, pointedly condemned what he termed the deplorable attempt by some elements within the Civil Society fold “to once again engage in unprofessional action and misconduct that negates society advancement,” saying that such was uncalled for and against society advancement.
“Our attention has been drawn to baseless allegations regarding compromised marginal fields bid round of 13 oil fields and undermining the signature bonus of the federation in the Nigerian petroleum upstream sector that have been levelled against the NUPRC boss by these individuals, whose main intention is only known to them.
“We wish to categorically state that the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations is fully aware that some of those behind this nefarious attempt do not belong to any credible organisation, nor are they recognised within the genuine civil society community in Nigeria.
“An unjust attack on the person and office of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, is uncalled for.
“Their actions are not representative of the values and principles upheld by legitimate civil society organisations in our country,” Loremikan stated.
Speaking further, Loremikan called on the relevant security agencies in the country to swiftly intervene and investigate the purported planned protest against the NUPRC boss, Engr. Komolafe, saying that it was imperative to probe the roles of those he described as restless activists who were orchestrating this malicious plot to tarnish the reputation of a public servant.
“Justice must prevail, and those responsible for this attempted extortion must be held accountable under the law.
“The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations wants to make it unequivocally clear that we will not tolerate the attempts by these fraudulent individuals to discredit the genuine civil society movement in Nigeria.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability in all spheres of governance,” he said.
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