A coalition of civil society groups yesterday backed Femi Falana (SAN) for asking the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to explain how the $2.9 billion meant for the rehabilitation of the three refineries was spent.

Falana said: “I challenge the NUPENG and PENGASSAN to tell Nigerians the actual state of the refineries. “Only 60,000 barrels per day are being blended while the NNPCL is silent on the remaining 150,000 bpd as well as on the Warri and Kaduna refineries,” Falana said in his remarks.

“The NNPCL has not explained to Nigerians why the $2.9 billion earmarked for the refineries has been diverted.”

In a statement yesterday by spokesman Olaosebikan Aremu, the CSOs asked why the NNPCl had yet to respond to Falana’s call.

They said: “We have been waiting, with great expectations, that the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, or any of his agents would come out to reply to the erudite lawyer and human rights activist.

“But to our greatest chagrin, no comment has gone out on this account. “The NNPCL, as usual, has kept us in the dark. Nigerians demand answers to the questions raised by their lawyer.”

“We want to know if the amount received by the NNPCL is actually $2.9 billion or it is more or less than that; we want to know what has happened to the funds.”