Kachikwu was recently
removed and replaced with the former Group Executive Director, Exploration and
Production of the corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru.
An oil monitoring group,
Niger Delta Indigenous Movement For Radical Change, NDIMRC, has blasted
President Muhammadu Buhari for removing Ibe Kachikwu as the Group Managing
Director, GMD, of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
NDIMRC in a statement by
its President, Nelly Emma, strongly condemned the sudden removal of Kachikwu as
the GMD of NNPC by the President.
It described the
development as unfair treatment not only to the hard-working technocrat, but to
the entire people of the neglected oil rich Niger Delta region.
According to him, “the
whole world is our witness that we raised alarm in April this year that Baru
was desperate to be the GMD of NNPC and was mounting pressure on the President
to sack Kachikwu and now we have been vindicated.
“We are sad over the unfair
treatment of Dr Kachikwu by the President. The former GMD was committed to the
total reform of NNPC of which Baru was against. By the sacking of the
hard-working Dr Kachikwu and replacing him with Baru, it is now clear to us as
a group and the whole world that the President is not serious about his promise
to turn NNPC around for the better.
“The appointment of Baru by
the President is not in the best interest of the nation, but to satisfy the
interest of the North. The removal of Dr Kachikwu at a most sensitive time, has
raised concerns among stakeholders in the region that the administration of
President Buhari has remained adamantly unresponsive to the accusations by the
militants that some of the local oil firms exploiting the hydrocarbon resources
in the Niger Delta region and polluting the environment belong to non-indigenes
of the oil producing communities.
“Last April, our findings
revealed that the Adviser On Gas to the GMD of NNPC, was behind a devilish
rumour that Dr Kachikwu was sacked.”
“He has been very desperate
to become the GMD of NNPC and we warned President Buhari to be wary of him, but
the President never listened.
“It is unfortunate that the
people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region are being treated this way. Dr
Kachikwu brought a lot of changes into NNPC and the cabal in the oil and gas
industry never liked him and rather than encourage him to do more for the
sector, the President decided to do otherwise.
The President has once
again made a big blunder with the appointment of Dr Baru who never wanted the
reforms of NNPC embarked upon by Dr Kachikwu.”
The group while accusing
the new GMD of NNPC, Dr Baru as one of those who destroyed NNPC that Dr
Kachikwu worked round the clock to bring back to life, said “Without apology,
we want to say that Dr Baru do not mean well for the corporation. He is a
spoiler and has been too desperate to become the GMD of the NNPC. Dr Baru has
never liked the reforms in NNPC and such a desperate man should not have been
allowed to head NNPC as he will ruin the place that Dr Kachikwu worked so hard
to fix up. Dr Baru is not the best man for the job.
“President Buhari should
have fired Dr Baru as suggested by us last April. The new GMD of NNPC has been
working with oil cabal to frustrate the efforts of Dr Kachikwu, especially in
his bid to make NNPC a better place. Dr Kachikwu ended the fuel scarcity caused
by Dr Baru and his co-travellers and rather than give him a pat on the back for
a job well done, he was removed by the President and replaced with desperate Dr
Baru who has nothing to offer,” the group said.
Dr Baru’s appointment, the
group said, raises questions as to whether he can lead negotiations to calm
restive militants in the Niger Delta, who have renewed hostilities in the
oil-rich region in a wave of attacks on oil industry installations.
“Only last month, the
hard-working Dr Kachikwu against threat to his life and members of his family
took a risky trip to the troubled Niger Delta region to see things for himself
at the controversial Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu
Kingdom, in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and his visit
brought hope to the hopeless people of the region.
“His trip to the area also
helped to reduce the spate of attacks on oil facilities by rampaging
militants.”
“The President should have
honoured Dr Kachikwu for his hard work. We must say that we are disappointed
with the choice the President made for the NNPC. Can Dr Baru take a trip to the
Niger Delta region? As the new GMD of NNPC, can he plead with rampaging
militants in the Niger Delta region to give peace a chance and they will listen
to him? The choice of Dr Baru as the man at the helm of affairs in NNPC by the
President is not the best.
“As an oil monitoring
group, we are highly disappointed that the President decided to at this crucial
time leave the affairs of the NNPC in the hands of Dr Baru who helped to
destroy the corporation. We are not impressed that President Buhari in his bid
to satisfy Northern Nigeria with more juicy positions at the detriment of the
oil producing people of the Niger Delta region left the affairs of NNPC in the
hands of a desperate Dr Baru, who will only sit in the comfort of his office in
Abuja without thinking about the pains the oil producing people of the Niger
Delta region are passing through,” the group stated.”
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