By Seyi Odewale
Two groups, Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) and the Afenifere Youth Council (AYC), yesterday protested the Arewa Accountability Network’s threat to resign the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mr Mele Kyari.
The groups said they were compelled to issue this statement in response to a call by a self-styled group known as the Arewa Accountability Network demanding Kyari’s immediate resignation based on the unfounded claim that he has reached the mandatory retirement age.
Jude Ochiaga, on behalf of Transparency and Accountability Network, and Opeyemi Abdul-Azeez, for Afenifere Youth Council, jointly stated yesterday that the call for Kyari’s resignation was yet another in a series of ill-conceived, baseless attacks. It is a calculated attempt to derail the tremendous progress in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
It stated in part, “The orchestrated smear campaign by these detractors is not about public service or accountability, but rather a deliberate and misguided effort to destabilize the remarkable transformations unfolding within the Nigeria oil sector.
“We find this latest call not only ignorant but laced with mischief. It is abundantly clear that the individuals behind this demand are sponsored by forces opposed to the radical reforms being implemented by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the Petroleum sector.
“These individuals, in their attempt to distract from the progressive initiatives currently underway, seem to be conveniently ignoring that NNPCL has long since transitioned from a public corporation to a limited liability company.
“As such, the tenure of the GCEO is determined not by arbitrary age limits but by the governing Board of NNPCL and the shareholders, the Nigerian people, who are vested with the authority to decide the leadership of the company.
“We are also aware of the renewed media onslaught targeting Kyari and the NNPCL leadership, primarily fuelled by controversies surrounding the local availability of refined petroleum products.
“This surge in local supply is a direct result of the visionary leadership of Kyari and the ongoing revitalisation of Nigeria’s refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, as well as the near completion of the Kaduna refinery.
“These reforms, which promise to reduce the country’s dependency on imported refined petroleum products, are an undeniable testimony to the transformative work currently taking place under Kyari’s leadership.
“We are fully committed to supporting the ongoing reforms crucial to our nation’s economic development and self-sufficiency in the oil and gas sector. Any attempt by detractors or enemies of progress to further harass or derail these reforms will be met with resistance.
“We are confident that the Nigerian people, who are the actual beneficiaries of these reforms, will not be swayed by the machinations of those determined to see our progress falter.
“We call on all Nigerians to support the ongoing efforts to build a more efficient, transparent, and self-reliant petroleum sector, which will drive the nation towards greater prosperity.”
