In a dramatic twist that has silenced critics and exposed the hollowness of recent smear campaigns, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has officially ranked the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)—under the leadership of Engr. Gbenga Komolafe—as the most transparent and compliant agency in Nigeria.
Just days after a phantom coalition alleged “financial opacity” and “secret accounts,” the Federal Government’s apex anti-graft body released its 2025 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS). The verdict? The NUPRC is not a den of corruption; it is the Gold Standard of Integrity.
The Scorecard That Ends the Debate
According to the report released on Tuesday, December 24, 2025, by ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Aliyu, the NUPRC secured the 1st position out of 357 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) assessed.
* The Score: A staggering 91.83 points.
* The Meaning: This score reflects “Substantial Compliance” with ethics, internal control mechanisms, and statutory requirements.
* The Context: This audit covers the very period Engr. Komolafe was accused of “diverting revenues.”
It is statistically and procedurally impossible for an agency to operate “33 secret bank accounts” and “conceal $20 billion” while simultaneously passing the ICPC’s rigorous forensic audit of its internal controls with the highest score in the Federation.
A Tale of Two Oil Giants: NUPRC vs. The Rest
The vindication of Komolafe’s tenure is even more stark when placed against the backdrop of the wider oil and gas sector. While Komolafe’s NUPRC topped the chart, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited was listed among the “High Corruption Risk” entities that failed to score a single point.
This data paints a clear picture: The regulator (NUPRC) was enforcing strict compliance and maintaining watertight books, while other players in the sector struggled with transparency. The narrative that Komolafe was the “problem” in the sector has been inverted by the facts. It appears his strict regulatory oversight—which likely earned him the NUPRC’s high integrity score—may have been exactly what made him a target for those resisting reform.
Dismantling the “Financial Opacity” Lie
The detractors claimed there were “leakages” and “unaccounted revenues.” The ICPC report, however, specifically evaluated MDAs on:
* Financial Management: Guidelines for funds and timely retirement of advances.
* Procurement Processes: Adherence to the Public Procurement Act.
* Internal Audit: Verification of payments and projects.
By scoring 91.83, the NUPRC demonstrated that its financial pipes were not leaking—they were among the most secure in government. While 99 other MDAs lacked guidelines for funds and 114 failed to submit financial reports, Komolafe’s NUPRC stood apart as a model of fiscal responsibility.
Facts Over Fiction
The timing of the ICPC report is poetic justice. It arrives as a final, irrefutable testimonial to Engr. Gbenga Komolafe’s service. The allegations of a “$20 billion diversion” have now been exposed for what they likely always were: a coordinated hit job designed to tarnish a reformer’s exit. But data does not lie.
As Engr. Komolafe bows out, he does so not with the stain of scandal, but with a badge of honor provided by the ICPC itself. He leaves behind an agency that is officially rated as the most ethically compliant institution in Nigeria. The smear campaign has failed. The scoreboard speaks for itself.
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