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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Niger Delta Peoples Assembly (NDPA), has condemned calls for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
The call came as 20 coalitions had protested in Delta State, demanding the removal of Kyari, over alleged misconduct.
But NDPA, in a statement yesterday, argued that the request of the coalition was unreasonable going by the successes recorded by Kyari since he assumed office.
Its National Coordinator, Richard Toritseju Okotie, claimed that unnamed monarch and illicit oil barons were behind the protest.
Aside describing the protest as a joke, Okotie, added that the outing was poorly orchestrated, because according to him, the coalition was unknown to the people of the Niger Delta.
He said: “The act of organized protest has become a huge joke in the Niger Delta. How can anyone take what happened in Warri Delta State as a protest?
“Can few belligerent and ill informed youths, holding placards, in front of the NNPCL’s building that hosts the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission ( NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream Petroleum Authority (NMPA) Warri, be referred to as a protest of a coalition of 26 youth groups?
“That was the charade that happened in Warri recently, which those who sponsored it called a protest asking for the probe and removal from office of the GCEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
“The supposed coalition protest was indeed a joke in its entirety. It was an orchestrated fiction poorly steam rolled. It did not make an impact it was intended due largely to lack of numbers, coordination and purpose.”
“The brain behind the wishy washy outing was a first class traditional ruler, who considers himself very smart and so wants to harvest without planting.
“The lacklustre reception accorded his protesting youths by the staff of the NUPRC was most deserving, he knew he had the short end of the stick.
“The monarch should hide his head in shame for trying to resort to cheap blackmail and crude methods to have his way in the renewal of his pipelines surveillance contract. Very well, he does not merit the re-award.
“The monarch failed miserably alongside his illicit oil barons, and have become more frustrated by recent nationalistic policies of Mele Kyari to retool the NNPCL.
“The various names paraded as the group of misguided youths that took placards to the gates of NUPRC, were, Niger Delta Youth Association, Niger Delta Women for Change, Niger Delta Youth Empowerment Network & South South United Youth Association.
“They are all non- existent and mere fabrications. They existed only in their imagination and that of their sponsors.
“In a very poorly articulated address, they presented their grouse as financial impropriety; lack of vision, poor performance, autocratic conduct, among others against the NNPCL GMD.
“And this prompts the question of whether they are auditors appointed by Mr. President to study the books of the NNPCL?
“On the other hand, it would have helped their protest if they had an auditor’s report indicting the GCEO of NNPCL.
“NNPCL is the most probed and audited agency by other government institutions, such as the National Assembly. This is due to the oversight function exercise over it by NASS, and Mele Kyari has never been found wanting. Mele Kyari infact enjoys a clean bill of health.
“On the issue of refineries rehabilitation, the mischief makers and their sponsors need to be informed that the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries is ongoing, with the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries to come on stream in December 2023.
“There is an increase in crude oil production in 2023 due to the ingenuity and commitment of the GMD, who launched a relentless war against oil theft and pipelines vandalism by local operators and international barons.
“His sincere efforts and patriotic zeal have been recognised and appreciated by all critical stakeholders within and outside the oil industry and indeed outside the shores of Nigeria.
“To hurt the feelings of hired jobless protesters and their main principal, our indefagible President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reposed huge implicit confidence in Mr. Mele Kyari, a reservoir of knowledge.
“Does anyone have to remind the hollow head Street urchins, who served as ready tools of the youthful but directionless monarch, that the decision of Mr. President to retain Mele Kyari as GCEO of NNPCL was a confirmation of his resourcefulness, astuteness and commitment to the attainment of set goals.
“With this singular action of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it was very clear to discernible minds that Mr. President has an implict confidence in the man Mele Kyari as an eminently qualified member of the team to deliver the vision and mission of the Renewed Hope mantra in the oil industry.”
