By Ade Iyamoye
The management of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has pushed back strongly against what it described as a “sponsored smear campaign” by Premium Times, calling the platform’s latest publication on the programme a “calculated misinformation attempt laced with falsehood, innuendo, and political bias.”
Findings show that the story, which raised allegations of inflated costs, conflicts of interest, and irregularities in kit allocation, was indirectly driven by Mr. Charles Goriola Yakubu, a suspended vendor currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Department of State Services (DSS), for fraudulent practices while participating in the PCNGI Conversion Incentive Programme.
Yakubu, through his company, C & L Smart Energy Limited, was suspended in December 2024 after PCNGI discovered, with video and documentary evidence, that he had been selling government-supplied CNG kits meant to be installed free of charge for commercial operators at prices ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.2 million.
Several victims of this malpractice came forward, including some whose vehicles were reportedly damaged in the process.
It has now emerged that Mr. Goriola Yakubu is a former employee of Leadership Newspaper and is personally connected to the publisher of Premium Times, raising serious questions about the motives behind the publication’s renewed attacks on the CNG programme.
Dissecting the Allegations
1. Kit Price Allegations
The Premium Times report alleged that the cost of the CNG kits under PCNGI was inflated beyond market rates. However, PCNGI does not directly acquire kits.
Procurement is handled by the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the cost estimates referenced in internal documents were based on 2023 global market prices.
Experts have pointed out that in the green energy sector such as solar panels and conversion kits, prices tend to decrease over time due to innovation and increased supply, not increase.
Therefore, comparing 2023 prices with 2025 market rates to allege inflation is misleading and intellectually dishonest.
2. Alleged Conflict of Interest
Premium Times also questioned the involvement of a junior PCNGI staff member in the coordination of conversion centers. However, PCNGI clarified that the said staffer, Mr. Idakwo, is not a senior official, nor does he hold any decision-making authority. His role is limited to facilitating the sign-up process of conversion centers, not kit allocation, which is handled regionally and evenly across the six geopolitical zones.
Furthermore, the staff member in question joined the programme more than a year after it began, and any alleged link to a conversion center is based solely on claims made by Mr. Goriola, the same suspended vendor now under EFCC probe.
No official complaint had been filed prior to Goriola’s fallout with the programme.
3. Political Undertones
Also linked to the smear effort is Mr. Sina Kawonise, a known associate of Goriola, who recently went on Arise TV to criticize the PCNGI.
Kawonise openly opposed the President’s fuel subsidy removal policy and expressed his political leanings during the interview.
He condemned the idea of providing free or subsidized CNG kits, which form the core of PCNGI’s mission to make alternative energy accessible to commercial drivers, rideshare operators, academic institutions, and MDAs.
According to insiders, Kawonise’s public statements confirm that his issue is not just with the PCNGI, but with any programme implemented under the current administration, raising the question: Can public policy be shaped to appease political opposition?
A Transparent Initiative Under Fire
PCNGI reiterated that it remains an interventionist body, not a procurement agency.
Its mandate is to promote and enable the adoption of clean energy through partnerships with MDAs, private operators, and industry stakeholders.
It does not award contracts, making the corruption allegations not only unfounded but structurally implausible.
The Initiative emphasized its commitment to integrity, equity, and public benefit, and warned that media houses like Premium Times, by giving platforms to politically motivated individuals with active cases of misconduct, risk undermining national progress in green energy adoption.
“The facts are clear. This is not investigative journalism. This is revenge journalism dressed up as accountability,” a source within PCNGI stated.
As the EFCC continues its probe into the activities of Goriola and his company, PCNGI has vowed to stay focused on its mandate while cooperating fully with relevant authorities to ensure accountability, transparency, and value delivery to Nigerians.
