A group under the aegis of Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC), has called for investigation of the fraudulent activities rocking the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The group equally warned against frustrating the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu just as it claimed that the life of the Minister was under threat.
It called for the scandal in the NNPC to be investigated and it’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru, probed and suspended.
In a press statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Office (PRO) Stanley Mukoro, the group said that the Minister deserved to be treated fairly and accorded due respect.
The Minister had in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, complained about some appointments and reorganizations carried out in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) without his input. According to him, he read about them on social media and mainstream media like every other Nigerian.
In the now famous letter which was leaked to the public, Kachikwu also kicked against what he described as insubordination and lack of adherence to due process perpetuated by the NNPC God.
The oil monitoring group, NDIMRC, had therefore fumed over the way the Minister was being treated and warned that enough was enough.
According to the group;” We have been watching the activities of the GMD of the NNPC, Dr. Baru since he came on Board and we are not impressed with the way he is treating the Minister of State for Petroleum and people from the Niger Delta Region working in the NNPC.
We have seen that the GMD of NNPC is bent on destroying the solid foundation laid by the Minister of State for Petroleum and determined to frustrate the Minister, but we are not going to take this likely because the oil Dr. Baru is presiding over belongs to the people of the Niger Delta Region and not the North”.
“The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu must be allowed to take charge of the Board of NNPC which the President inaugurated.
Our findings revealed that the recent appointments and postings were done without the knowledge of the Board.
Members of the Board learned of these appointments from social media and the press release of NNPC. This is bad enough and must not be encouraged”, the Group said.
The Group added that;” We are not happy over the way the Minister is being frustrated. He should be allowed to exercise his power as the Chairman of the NNPC Board.
They should let the whole world to know why he is not being allowed to function effectively as the Chairman of the Board.
The Minister was transparent when he was the GMD of NNPC, he carried out ethnic balancing, but the reverse is now the case since Dr. Baru was appointed. The current Board of the NNPC must be empowered and given free hand to operate”.
“The office of the Minister of State for Petroleum must be saved from further humiliation and disrespect.
The Minister is not anti-North as all appointments made by him in the past were balanced and based strictly on skills, experience, drive and ethnic balancing for senior management positions, but this is not the case with the current GMD of the NNPC”, the group stated.
The oil monitoring group urged President Buhari to treat the letter written to him by the Minister with all seriousness, adding that the President must call the GMD of NNPC to order now.
According to the group also;”For transparency, we want to appeal to the President that the recently announced reorganization changes carried out by the GMD of the NNPC Dr. Baru be suspended until the GMD, the Minister, and the Board have made relevant input”
“We make bold to say that the fight against corruption of the administration of President Buhari will be meaningless without a total clean up of the NNPC. “
The group stated that oil companies are no longer interested in investing in Nigeria because of the massive corruption in NNPC under the watch of the current GMD.
“Our checks have shown that the Cabal in the North are planning to use the Military, EFCC, SSS and DSS against the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu because they are not happy with the letter he wrote to the President. The life of the Minister is under threat, his life is no longer safe and the Cabal should be held responsible should any unpleasant thing happen to the Minister”,
