Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Association of Northern Nigerian Students has issued a strong rejection of President Bola Tinubu's appointment of Dr. Bala Wunti as the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the World Energy Council Nigeria, demanding an immediate reversal pending a transparent investigation into unresolved controversies surrounding the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The North Central Zonal Coordinator of the student body, Comrade Sagir A. Sardauna, who made the demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, August 24, 2026, said the appointment was capable of further eroding public confidence in government institutions and sending a "dangerous and demoralising" message to Nigerian youths.
According to the student leader, Wunti's name featured alongside that of former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, former Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajia, and other officials in proceedings concerning audit queries involving figures totalling about N210 trillion. The figure reportedly comprised approximately N103 trillion in accrued expenses and liabilities and another N107 trillion in sundry receivables contained in NNPCL-related audit queries covering the 2017–2023 period. While the association acknowledged that the N210 trillion figure does not, by itself, establish that the money was stolen, missing or misappropriated, it insisted that Nigerians deserve a clear, conclusive and publicly accessible account of the issues raised by the audit queries.
Sardauna noted that although Wunti and others had appeared before the Senate Public Accounts Committee and offered explanations framing the sum as a misinterpretation of accounting entries rather than missing cash, no final, conclusive public findings, indictment, or clearance have been issued by the Senate or any anti-graft agency to date. "Nigeria cannot continue to normalise appointments that ignore public concerns and unresolved allegations of this magnitude," he declared. "Our country is bleeding from corruption, and citizens — especially the youth — are losing hope".
The student body has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to thoroughly investigate the issues surrounding the N210 trillion NNPCL audit queries and publish their findings. "We demand that the EFCC and ICPC go deeply into the N210 trillion NNPCL case involving Dr. Bala Wunti and the others, publish their findings, and prosecute where necessary," Sardauna said. "Anything less is a betrayal of the Nigerian people".
The students also urged President Tinubu, the Federal Government and the World Energy Council Nigeria to review the appointment, arguing that strategic positions within the country's energy sector should be occupied by individuals whose records are not clouded by unresolved allegations. The association warned that the appointment could affect the confidence of young Nigerians in the government's commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible leadership.
In a clear warning to the government, ANNS said it was prepared to mobilise Nigerians for peaceful protests if its demands were not addressed. According to the association, it would also organise an international press conference if the government failed to either reverse the appointment or provide "clear, verifiable validity and closure" on the allegations through a transparent investigation and due process.
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