LunagisthubAtiku Slams FG Over ₦17.5tn Pipeline Security Spending: A Call for Transparency and Accountability
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the Bola Tinubu administration over reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) spent ₦17.5 trillion in one year on securing fuel pipelines. Atiku described the development as “unprecedented and alarming,” saying it stands as one of the most brazen financial scandals in Nigeria’s history
According to Atiku, the alleged spending is akin to “robbing Peter (Nigerians) to pay Paul (cronies).” He questioned the administration’s justification for subsidy removal, stating that Nigerians were told to tighten their belts, endure hardship, and make sacrifices, yet the same administration has channeled ₦17.5 trillion into opaque security contracts
Atiku raised several questions about the spending, including who the companies paid under these contracts are, what specifically justifies a 38.7% rise in the amount of energy-cost, and why pipeline security is now more expensive than a decade-long subsidy that served over 200 million Nigerians. He demanded an immediate forensic audit and full disclosure of all companies involved
Atiku’s statement is a call to action for the government to be transparent and accountable in its dealings. The alleged spending is not just a financial anomaly but a moral indictment on the Tinubu administration. It is essential for the government to publish the full list of companies awarded these contracts, disclose the scope, deliverables, and duration of each contract, and subject the entire ₦17.5 trillion expenditure to an independent forensic audit
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