Mele Kyari: Forces Not At Ease With Reforms In Petroleum Sector Behind Fake News — SoGGT

The Society for Good Governance and Transparency (SoGGT), a civil society group in Nigeria, has voiced its concerns and criticized the purveyors behind the alleged suspension of Mallam Mele Kyari, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), by President Bola Tinubu.

The purported suspension of Kyari created a stir on social media on Saturday, prompting SoGGT to question the motives and actions of those responsible for the fake news.

While calling for responsible use of social media, SoGGT described reports of Kyari’s suspension as “mischievous, calculated smear and attempt to dictate to the president by entrenched interests opposed to the reforms at the NNPCL.”

The civil society group spoke in a statement by Prince Oyebanji Ademola and Sarki Inusa, its national coordinator and secretary, respectively.

“The alleged suspension of the CEO of the NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, by President Bola Tinubu is cheap, mischievous and a calculated smear campaign by some entrenched forces not at ease with the reforms ongoing in the petroleum sector.

“It should be stated, and unequivocally too, that Mallam Kyari, that we have keenly watched his activities over time, is not a desperate person and is serving at the discretion of the president.

“While the PIB Act gives him a tenured office, he is still serving at the pleasure of the president and nothing more.

“Those who are flying this obnoxious kite should rather be worried for themselves as their antics to continue to scam and skim the system is no longer tenable,” the statement stated.

According to them, the recent end to crude oil swap and relentless war against crude oil theft and vandalism of oil assets in the country has pitched the NNPCL against some of these economic saboteurs.

The SoGGT noted that under Kyari, the NNPCL has boosted daily oil production to over 1.6 million barrels per day, which has seen the country according to the Fourth Quarter 2022 figures, regained its position as the largest crude oil producer in Africa, ahead of Algeria’s 1.021 mb/d and Angola’s 1.088 mb/d in November 2022.

“Also, we note that the company posted its second consecutive year of ‘profit’ of N674.1 billion in the 2021 financial period and growing it from N287 billion in 2020. The figure represents an increase of N387 billion, or 134.8 per cent.

“In terms of gaining international confidence, the NNPCL and IOCs signed various Production Sharing Contracts, PSC, agreements that would ensure the production of about 10 billion barrels of crude oil and generate over $500 billion in revenue,” the further stated.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the fake news came barely 24 hours after President Tinubu suspended the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in connection with a barrage of allegations against him.