A Freedom of Information (FOI) request was made to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), however the company denied to provide any information.
The request revealed that one of its employees, Ms. Asabe Waziri, had acquired multi-million naira properties and requested information regarding her work status.
As previously reported by Pulse, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, was contacted by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) over Ms. Waziri’s job status.
The corporation responded by saying that it is confidential to know the personal information of its employees.
In response to a FOI request from the HURIWA on April 22, 2024, NNPCL, via its attorney, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), stated, “Therefore, we lament our client’s incapacity to
I will comply with your request for the specified data. With this, our customer firmly declines your request.
The company replied, “After reviewing your request, we invite you to please note that our client is no longer subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2011 (FOIA) as a result of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which went into effect on the day that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), a limited liability company, was registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, replacing the Corporation as a public institution.
Therefore, in accordance with the FOIA, our client is not required to reply to requests for information. That being said, our client draws attention to the following in the spirit of openness and due process: i. The data pertaining to items 1 through 4
Details on Ms. Waziri’s employment status, including her role, department, work history, pay, benefits, start date, and any records pertaining to her tenure, are being sought by NNPC Limited.
HURIWA is also seeking information regarding the acquisition of property, including details about how Ms. Waziri, a public servant, allegedly obtained two residential properties valued at ₦260 million (units 3B and 3C, Abbey Signature Apartments, 1 Mekong Close, Maitama Abuja FCT); confirmation of the claim that Ms. Waziri bought a valuable housing asset in Lagos; and details about any further actions or disciplinary measures taken .
