Mr. Andrew Yakubu

By Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that contrary to reports that it is not bound by the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, it respects and abides by provisions of the law.

The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu stated yesterday in Abuja at the induction ceremony of it's new intakes that the NNPC has willing obliged information requested from it to the general public before the promulgation of the Act in 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan. He said that NNPC would have no reason to renege on same considering that it's within the ambit of established laws of Nigeria.

Apparently responding to media reports that have variously quoted the Secretary and Legal Adviser of NNPC, Anthony Madichie, who disclosed that NNPC was not bound by the provisions of the Act as a “statutory corporation” by virtue of section 31 of the FoI Act.
Madichie had while responding to a request from a media house in line with the tenets of the Act stated: “Please be informed that the Freedom of Information Act applies to Public Institutions as defined under the Act. In this regards, Section 31 of the Act defines Public Institution as follows: “... any legislative, executive, judicial, administrative or advisory body of the government, including boards, bureau, committees or commissions of the state, and any subsidiary body of those bodies including but not limited to committees and sub-committees which are supported in whole or in part by public fund or which expends public fund and private bodies providing public services, performing public functions or utilising public funds.”

He further said: “It is our position that this definition does not extend to statutory corporations such as NNPC and thus, we are not bound by the provision of the act.”