…says Nigerian Content Board has become cesspool of corruption
The Network for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform (NOSTR) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sack the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, over what it described as “unbridled abuse of office, financial mismanagement, and systemic rot” under his leadership.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by its president, Dr John Chigozie Afamefuna, the group accused the NCDMB boss of running the board like a private business empire, in flagrant disregard for due process, transparency, and the Nigerian Content Act.
“NCDMB, once seen as a beacon of indigenous participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, has regrettably become a cesspool of corruption and backdoor deals under Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe. It is now more about personal enrichment and less about national development. This must end,” the group declared.
According to NOSTR, its independent investigation, backed by whistleblower accounts and internal memos, revealed a worrying pattern of contract inflation, secretive recruitment processes, and questionable disbursement of funds meant for Nigerian content development.
The group stated that instead of continuing the legacy of promoting local participation in oil and gas operations, Ogbe has focused on building patronage networks and facilitating the award of multimillion-naira contracts to his associates with no clear accountability framework.
“From all indications, the Executive Secretary has not only failed in delivering on the Board’s statutory mandate, he has also turned the place into a cash cow for a few privileged insiders,” NOSTR said.
Dr Afamefuna further noted that the vision of the NCDMB as set out by the Nigerian Content Act is now being eroded by what he called “elite capture and bureaucratic corruption” at the highest level of the board’s leadership.
“It is disheartening that at a time the country is pushing for foreign investment and transparency in its extractive sector, the very agency charged with building local capacity and driving accountability in the oil and gas value chain is now enmeshed in corruption,” he said.
The group also raised alarm over “dubious expenditures” on conferences, international travels, and project monitoring visits, many of which allegedly serve no measurable purpose but continue to drain the board’s finances.
“We challenge the Presidency and anti-corruption agencies to immediately audit the finances of the Board since Ogbe assumed office. The figures will shock even the most cynical observer,” the group stated.
NOSTR also accused the Executive Secretary of using intimidation and administrative loopholes to silence staff who question his decisions, thereby fostering a culture of fear and complicity.
“How can a government agency, funded by public resources, operate with so much secrecy? Staff are afraid to speak. Vendors are handpicked. Projects are stalled unless a cut is agreed. This is not what the NCDMB was created for,” Afamefuna said.
The group insisted that a full-scale forensic audit of the board be commissioned by independent experts, and that President Bola Tinubu must not allow the rot to fester.
“This administration came into power on the mantra of renewed hope and institutional reform. If this mantra is to mean anything, then Engr. Ogbe must be removed immediately and investigated. We must send a message that public service is not a pathway to private enrichment,” the statement added.
NOSTR also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to step in, saying that the scale of malfeasance within NCDMB under the current leadership is too grave to be ignored.
“There are thousands of young Nigerians depending on the opportunities and capacity-building programs that the NCDMB is supposed to offer. But all they see now is corruption and zero transparency,” the group lamented.
“President Tinubu must not allow a single man to rubbish the progress made in local content development. The sack of Ogbe is the first step to cleaning up the board and restoring integrity to its operations.”