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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A Transparency group, the Global Transparency Initiative (GTI) has described as “wide off allegation” and” calculated blackmail” the recent claims made against the Group General Manager ( GGM) of Nigerian Upstream Investment Services (NUIS, formerly National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS), Mr Bala Wunti over alleged involvement in the last presidential elections and acquisition of luxury properties.
According to the GTI, despite the fact that no serious, credible, reliable and conventional news organisations published such reports, the claim is a hatchet job commissioned by those eyeing Wunti’s job position.
GTI with offices in the six geo-political zones, through its National Coordinator, Comrade Dennis Aladei, in a statement issued via electronic mail on Wednesday, stated that the allegations were sponsored and it is a campaign of calumny against the person Wunti, the GGM (Group General Manager) of Nigerian Upstream Investment Services (formerly NAPIMS) of the NNPCL.
The statement read in part, “From the pathos of the false accusations, one can clearly deduce that this is a hatchet job commissioned by those eyeing Bala Wunti’s job position, making wide off allegations with no basis.
From the above it is a no brainer to conclude that this is political skulduggery, as those who think or feel they should be compensated with Bala Wunti’s job position in the in-coming government are behind the social media onslaught.”
“Of course all these could only have happened within the figment of their imaginations, Bala Wunti is no politician and has never contested for any political office neither is he a political party aficionado or operative.”
“We are stating for the records without ambiguity and fear of contradiction that Bala Wunti has been guided by the interest of Nigeria’s government, her stake and the implementation of due diligence in the operations of NAPIMS as against the entrenched, obscure and manipulative interest of a blackmailing few.”
“We ask where were these faceless groups when crude oil production plummeted to an all time low before the current NNPCL leadership policies and actions reversed the ugly trends and we are now back to record and unhindered productions, or are they part of the criminal cartel in the oil and gas industry that has bled this country hitherto?”
“On the contrary we boldly state that Bala Wunti is the embodiment of an unassuming and fine technocrat, administrator and gentleman, he’s the quintessential public servant.”
“Bala Wunti is a strong believer, supporter and an integral part of the current NNPCL progressive structures and policies that has been put in place across board to reposition the organisation for effectiveness, efficiency and profitability by the able, innovative and exemplary leadership of Mallam Melee Kyari, the results are evident.”
