By Adelabu Jumoke
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that the daughter of Senate President Godswill Akpabio secured employment in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) without undergoing the organisation’s standard recruitment process.
Oshiomhole made the allegation during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where he defended his comments on the Senate’s oversight of NNPC affairs and the issuance of a bench warrant against former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
The former Edo State governor claimed that Akpabio had a personal interest in matters concerning the national oil company, alleging that Kyari facilitated the appointment of the Senate President’s daughter to a coveted position within the organisation.
•Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole
According to Oshiomhole, information available to him suggested that the appointment did not follow the established recruitment procedures.
“I was informed that the Senate President’s daughter was taken by Mele Kyari and placed in what Nigerians would describe as a juicy position, without going through the regular recruitment process,” he said.
The senator further alleged that nepotism had become deeply rooted within the NNPC, claiming that successive officials had used their influence to secure employment opportunities for relatives and associates.
“They have employed their children, uncles, cousins and in-laws into various departments of NNPC and placed them in different positions. If you examine the payroll, you will discover that the upper levels have been turned into a family enterprise,” Oshiomhole alleged.
However, he maintained that there was nothing inherently wrong with relatives of public officials working in NNPC, provided they were qualified and recruited through transparent and competitive processes.
“You can only raise concerns when someone is given a job they did not merit, are not qualified for, or when due process was not followed. I was told that the Senate President’s daughter did not go through the normal interview and recruitment procedures, but that is his own issue to address,” he added.
Oshiomhole also responded to criticism surrounding the Senate’s handling of the arrest warrant issued against Kyari, insisting that the action was within the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly.
Neither Akpabio nor NNPC Ltd. had responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
