NNPC to 50% of Its Staff to Identify Corrupt Operations

As part of its duty to identify, stamp out corruption and examine fraud from its processes, the Nigerian National Corporation, (NNPC) and the management has decided to train 50 per cent of the staff on fraud detection courses.

The Corporation is alleged to have a high level of corruption and fraud related issues.
But yesterday, the Corporation in a statement from its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, said it would equip 50 per cent of its workforce with requisite knowledge on how to identify and examine fraud as part of measures to stamp out corruption from its system.

According to Ughamadu, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, made the commitment in Abuja, while receiving a delegation of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE), Abuja Chapter, led by its President, Mr. Ishili Emmanuel.
The NNPC boss said training staff on fraud examination would ensure that NNPC was not involved in the five per cent annual global revenue loss to fraud.

“We will seize the opportunity offered by the CFE to train at least 50 per cent of our staff on fraud examination. We do know that there are a lot of advantages in getting as many staff as possible trained in fraud examination”, Dr. Baru said.

Also, he explained that as the major foreign exchange earner for the country, NNPC was very conscious of issues of corruption in all its ramifications and had gone beyond looking at corruption in terms of money alone.

“NNPC under my leadership has instituted what we call Governance, Risk and Compliance Division which is very much in line with the mission of CFE. The Division is not only looking at corruption in terms of naira and kobo but also at the system itself.

He stated that corruption was a major waster of human resources as staff found culpable were usually prosecuted and sacked, adding that it was better to train them on fraud and safeguard them.

The GMD said the Corporation was at the vanguard of providing support to anti-corruption agencies in the country by providing them with necessary information on cases involving its employees and other relevant third parties.

“We have been using the anti-corruption bodies effectively. Particularly, we have very strong collaboration with the ICPC,” the GMD stated, stressing that during his stint as the Chairman of the NNPC Anti-corruption Committee, they saw the need to train and certify fraud examiners which was why the current and long-standing secretary of the committee was a certified fraud examiner with about 10 others that have completed their training and were awaiting certification from the American body.

The new Division will ensure that fraud did not manifest in our system and if does, it would be quickly nipped in the bud,” he said.