A group identified as Niger Delta Coalition (NDC), has called for the sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari over alleged misconduct.
The NDC which is made-up of 26 youth associations across the Niger Delta region, made the demand during a peaceful protest on Wednesday, October 11, in Warri, the state capital.
The statement issued at the protest was jointly signed by Oris Bakpa, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Youth Alliance, Bridget Oghenekohwo, National Chairwoman, Niger Delta Women for Change, Elvis Abebiyein, President, Niger Delta Youth Empowerment Network and Peter Okpogboro, Regional Coordinator, South South United Youth Association.
The protest saw a mammoth crowd storming the entrance of the popular NNPC building at about 12 noon to register their grievance, while chanting solidarity songs, thus disrupting flow of traffic on the Warri/Sapele Road.
Wielding placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Protect our Nation, President Tinubu, Sack Mele Kyari,” “Mele Kyari Must Go”, “Stop The Rot! Remove Mele Kyari From NNPCL,”, the protester took over the the area, attracting onlookers who were curious to know what was happening.
Addressing newsmen, Bakpa urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate action and remove Kyari from office and institute a comprehensive inquiry into his conducts.
He said that the agitation for the removal of the NNPCL boss was premised on the alleged financial impropriety, misuse of authority, lack of vision, poor performance and autocratic conducts among others.
According to him, “Nigeria is blessed with abundant oil resources. Nevertheless, a glaring deficiency within the NNPCL is the presence of dormant refineries scattered across the country.
“Regrettably, despite the staggering allocation of N100 billion for refinery rehabilitation in 2022, these facilities, with a combined production capacity of 445,000 bpd have failed to produce any refined products for the past several years,” he said.
Bakpa, further lamented that the inability of the NNPCL to operate the moribund refineries had forced the nation to rely on the importation of petroleum products with the attendant consequences on the economy.
He said that the rippling adverse effects of the over reliance on the oil industry was visible in the nation’s inflation rates which according to him, had reached a staggering 25.80 per cent in August 2023.
Bakpa added, “the implication of such high inflation figures are far-reaching, encompassing elevated cost of living, discouraging business environment and a palpable instability in the nation’s overall economic well-beings.
“Furthermore, the alleged irregularities in the awarding of oil production contracts have cast a shadow of opacity over remittance to the Federation Account giving rise to grave concerns about transparency and accountability in these financial transactions.
“As a collective of concerned and dedicated Niger Delta people, we vow to uphold the law and employ peaceful demonstrations as a means to call on President Tinubu to remove Kyari from his position.
“And commence a detailed investigation into the leadership and management of the NNPCL with a view to addressing the urgent issues of the refinery rehabilitation.”
Bakpa, however, noted that there was no increase in crude oil production and remittance to the Federation Account under the leadership of Kyari.
In response to the protesters, a senior staff in the NMDPRA advised the protesters to take their case to Abuja where it would be properly addressed rather than temporarily disrupting activities at NNPC building.
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