Mele Kyari
By Our Reporter
The Arewa Citizens Watch for Good Governance (ACWGG), has demanded for the immediate sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari for misleading President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into removing subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) without provision of palliative measures.
ACWGG also called for a comprehensive investigation into the subsidy regime and the corruption allegations within the oil and gas sector, stressing that it was evident going by the suspicious drop in the daily consumption of PMS and the astronomic rise in the general revenue of the country.
A statement by the Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Aliyu Sani, made available to NATIONAL WAVES in Abuja on Monday, July 24, 2023, noted that the recent increase in NNPCL’s output, without corresponding investment in the Company, has further exposed the pervasive corruption within the sector.
In the words of Sani; “We find it alarming that the Company was declaring paltry production volume, which falls short of our OPEC quota even though the country has not recorded any major disaster.
“The criminals in the Oil and Gas Sector are only responding to the body language of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s zero tolerance for bad governance, hence, the magical performance by people desperate to keep their offices.
“This raises serious doubts about the integrity and competence of the current leadership at NNPCL. As a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, it is only fair that the benefits of these resources are felt by all citizens, not just a select few.
“The mismanagement and corruption within the oil and gas sector have hindered economic growth and contributed to the financial burden faced by ordinary Nigerians. We expect the administration to go after those that have benefitted from the opaque subsidy aspiration just as Nigerians are bearing with the hardship induced by the sudden removal of the subsidy.
“Our people cannot continue to die of hunger, while the people that put in the situation that warranted the removal of the subsidy continue to enjoy the privileges of their offices,” he stressed.
The ACWGG particularly expressed disapproval of the reported plan to re-award the pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo, stressing that the move is detrimental to the capacity of the Armed Forces to curtail internal and external aggression, adding that it also goes to show that granting such a contract to individuals with questionable backgrounds raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the fight against crime.
It therefore urged President Tinubu to stop it and prioritize using the money for the contract to fund the nation’s Armed Forces to deal with oil thieves in the Niger Delta region.
The statement further said that should the stoppage of the contract lead to the emergence of the activities of militants, the Nigerian Military should take swift and decisive action to crush any form of anarchy.
The group also urged the Nigerian military to take a firm stand against the activities of militants that threaten national security thereby impeding the progress of the nation.
