Fuel Scarcity: Alleged Plot By Kachikwu To Blackmail Buhari Unravelled

An alleged plot by the Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachikwu to blackmail President Muhammadu Buhari in the wake of the ongoing fuel shortage has been brought to the fore.

A source who spoke to our correspondent, in the condition of anonymity confirmed that the minister has not hidden his disdain for the President and his chief of staff Mr. Abba Kyari, since his removal as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

This is coming on the hills of a memo circulating online allegedly written by the minister to President Buhari predicting the likely shortage of Premium Motor Spirit despite the NNPC’s insistence on availability of the product.

Realising the implication, Kachikwu had through his ministry’s spokesman, Idang Alibi, distanced himself from the said memo, describing its content as false.

However, as gathered by our correspondent, the move by the minister was seen as a ploy by him and his cronies to discredit the president.

“There was no such memo let alone it been suppressed by so-called Aso Rock cabal,” the industry source confirmed to our correspondent.

“Those of us who are familiar with the workings of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are aware that since his removal as the GMD of the NNPC for inefficiency and lack of adherence to due process from multiple fronts, Kachikwu has not hidden his disdain for the Government of President Buhari, under which he currently serves as a junior Minister.

“It is therefore not surprising that at every opportunity, he resorts to campaign of calumny and blackmail against the government and those that are saddled with responsibility of managing the oil and gas industry. These have been his trade mark.”

Another source who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the minister’s retraction is weak and belated.

“This was the same tactics they employed when he came up with the issue of non-existent $25 billion contracts. He and those he represent, are desperate to bring Buhari’s government down for selfish ends. This is very sad and Nigerians must not allow people who have vested interests to rubbish the good work the President has initiated in NNPC through Dr. Baru,” the source said.

“With the current reforms going on in the NNPC, the Federal Government is beginning to reap the benefits of a productive policy. NNPC is making profits in some of its subsidiaries unlike in the past. We know that this is not going down well with people who are used to the old ways of doing business.

“The President had said that business in NNPC and its subsidiaries will no longer be as usual.Those who are no longer profiteering are desperate and wants to frustrate these reforms by all means necessary. But I can assure you that Dr. Baru and his team will not be deterred or intimidated.”