24 hours after writing to President Muhammadu Buhari over the insubordination of NNPC’s GMD, Dr Maikanti Baru, the issue did not come up for discuss
24 hours after writing to President Muhammadu Buhari over the insubordination of NNPC’s GMD, Dr Maikanti Baru, the issue did not come up for discussion during the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting of which the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, attended.
When asked what action Buhari had taken on the issue since the letter was dated August 30, 2017, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, insisted that he had no comment on the issue. Another source however said that nobody was sure yet if the President indeed got Kachikwu’s letter before its content became public knowledge.
“Nobody is sure yet if the President indeed got the letter. Who knows whether those who blocked the minister from seeing the President even blocked the letter from getting to him,” the source added.”
Kachikwu had written to Buhari alleging acts of insubordination and humiliation by Baru. In the letter titled, ‘Re: Matters of insubordination and lack of adherence to due process by the GMD NNPC – Dr. Baru,’ Kachikwu alleged that the NNPC boss had repeatedly sidelined and disrespected the board of the national oil firm, which is chaired by the minister, among other alleged misdemeanours.
Meanwhile, the Senate has already began an investigation into allegations of corruption against the NNPC Trading Limited, a subsidiary of the national oil firm, which was accused of awarding a questionable petroleum importation contract. The lawmakers are also probing the allegations of insubordination as pointed out by Kachikwu and the unapproved award of $25bn contracts by the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
Moving the motion, Anyanwu said the Senate was aware that NNPC Trading Limited was a joint venture creation of the NNPC and Duke Oil, Hyson/Carlson (JV), NAP Oil (JV) and West Africa-Gas Limited (JV). According to the lawmaker, Duke Oil was incorporated in 1989 in Panama and does not pay tax in Nigeria.
The lawmaker said, “The Senate is further aware that Duke Oil, compared to other major players in the sector, is still grappling with the basics of what it was registered to do in spite of massive support from the NNPC owing to large-scale corruption. We are aware of the decision by the current GMD to allocate almost all products to Duke Oil; this is in addition to its automatic inclusion in the lifting of crude oil, gas, etc., which made Duke Oil a money-spinning outfit that is accountable only to the NNPC.”
Seconding the motion, Senator Abubakar Yusuf called for an extension of the probe to the NNPC and all its subsidiaries. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, named Senator Aliyu Wammako as Chairman of the panel, while and Senators Tayo Alasoadura, Kabiru Marafa, Albert Bassey, Sam Anyanwu, Ahmed Ogembe, Chukwuka Utazi, Rose Okoh and Baba Kaka Garbai were listed as members.
Punch
