The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,
Atiku Abubakar, has said the Federal Government’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria to take over the responsibility for crude oil sales proceeds from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is illegal.
President Bola Tinubu had, on Monday, reportedly directed the CBN to assume the responsibility for crude oil sales proceeds from the NNPCL. Consequently, NNPC is expected to submit the receipts for crude oil sales to CBN for vetting and documentation.
Reacting, Atiku in a statement, Thursday said Tinubu’s directive undermined the operational independence of the national oil company.
Without prejudice to the possibility of any good that was intended in the decision of the Federal Government to make the Central Bank of Nigeria take over the responsibility for crude oil sales proceeds from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, it must be clearly stated that the action is not legal in its application, he stated.