Nigeria A Crime Scene, Criminality Masquerading As Governance – Peter Obi
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the staggering ₦210 trillion discrepancies uncovered in the audited financial statements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), describing the country as a “crime scene” where criminality now parades as governance.
Obi’s reaction came after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada, revealed alarming inconsistencies in the NNPCL’s financial records spanning 2017 to 2023. The Committee flagged ₦103 trillion in accrued expenses and ₦107 trillion in receivables—figures that lacked supporting documentation or accountability.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi expressed deep dismay at the revelations, noting that the total national budget over the same seven-year period—₦88.01 trillion—was less than half of the alleged financial discrepancies.
“It is with the utmost sadness that I once again reaffirm what I have consistently said: Nigeria has become a crime scene,” Obi wrote.
“No documentation. No accountability. No consequences. This is not just another scandal; it is a clear and damning confirmation of a nation held hostage by monumental corruption.”
He described the situation as a “criminal institutionalised betrayal of the Nigerian people” and warned that such unchecked corruption poses a severe threat to the country’s future, especially for the next generation.
Obi urged urgent reforms, insisting that the system of governance which enables such massive financial irregularities must be dismantled.
“No responsible nation can continue to function like this,” he warned. “This criminality masquerading as governance must be stopped and dismantled for a better Nigeria.”
The revelation of the ₦210 trillion irregularity—more than double the total federal budget within the reviewed period—has once again ignited public outrage over Nigeria’s long-standing struggle with transparency, corruption, and accountability in its oil and gas sector.
