Industry stakeholders in the oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy on Wednesday demanded for the sack or retirement of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari.
The stakeholders in a statement authored in Portharcourt, Rivers State and signed by Fidelis Okoroafor accused the GMD of vendetta and misdirection following the compulsory retirement of about 90 staffers of the corporation on Monday.
Okoroafor said “the newly retired staff by the GMD was about 90 of them; all together”.
Stressing that Kyari and not the affected staffers ought to have been retired or sacked by the President, Okoroafor alleged that, “those that were suspecting and making noise about his (Kyari’s maladminsitration) were retired even when a number of them still have about 15 months (their due dates) to remain in the corporation.”
Asking why did he force them out of the NNPCL?, Okoroafor said Kyari wasn’t the best for the industry and should leave the stage now for posterity sake.
According to him, “He (Kyari) should go now; almost 90 people are retired. All the Refineries with over 3,500 workers are neither working nor functioning despite billions spent on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) by the Federal Government.
“Kyari himself is not competent. Tinubu should wake up and do the needful to make sure that Kyari is out of that place. He cannot manage that place well.
“His agenda is not in tandem with that of Mr. President and unfortunately an old man who has the ears of Mr President, Mr. Pius Akinyelure is the one backing Kyari against the interest of the industry stakeholders and by extension, our country’s economy.
“He (Pius Akinyelure) is using his closeness with the President to stop Kyari’s sack and this is not good for the reform promised by President Tinubu during his electioneering.
“Bàbá Akinyelure is the one defending the leadership of Kyari. Mr President should extend his searchlight to the NNPCL as it is presently being done to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“What does Bàbá Akinyelure want by ensuring the stay of Kyari against the interest of President Bola Tinubu?’, he asked rhetorically.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Tuesday compulsorily retired all management staff with less than 15 months to statutory retirement.
In an early Tuesday morning announcement, the company declared that the retirement of the affected workers was with immediate effect, stressing that the move would support its business objectives.
The national oil firm posted this on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, that in addition to the recent exit of three executive vice presidents, other management staff with less than 15 months to statutory retirement will be exiting the company effective September 19, 2023.