The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the immediate suspension and investigation of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru.
This is based on revelations by his supervising Minister, Ibe Kachikwu that he bypassed the board of the state-owned oil company to award contracts worth 25 billion US dollars without approval.
The PDP kicked against President Muhammadu Buhari’s continued silence over weighty allegations of corruption
leveled against some members of his cabinet and top government officials while members of the opposition are hounded by anti-graft agencies.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, had in a leaked letter reported the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to take urgent actions on matters ranging from alleged illegal practices to insubordination.
Mr. Kachikwu said he found it pertinent to call the attention of the president to his misgivings because they’re capable of hindering progress in the country’s petroleum sector or even reverse recorded strides.
“Parastatals in the ministry and all CEOs of these parastatals must be aligned with the policy drive of the ministry to allow the sector register the growth that has eluded it for many years” Mr. Kachikwu said. “To do otherwise or to exempt any of the parastatals would be to emplace a stunted growth for the industry.”
Mr. Kachikwu said he wrote the August 30 letter to Mr. Buhari after concerted efforts to have a one-on-one appointment with the president at the State House fell through.
The letter, which emerged on the Internet Tuesday, was widely circulated on Twitter. It is not immediately clear how it made it to the public domain.
The minister said he suffered “disrespectful and humiliating conducts” from Mr. Baru.
The conflict between the duo had been well concealed from the media for the most part, although it was first hinted more than a year ago.
