By Adamu Abuh, Abuja
An anti-corruption group, under the aegis of Concerned Citizens Against Corruption, has expressed happiness over the revitalisation of the Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna refineries while the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, held sway.
Led by Comrade Emeka Uwazurike, the group, at a press conference held yesterday in Abuja, joined millions of Nigerians who commended Kyari for achieving the feat, which has impacted the well-being of the citizenry.
The group was reacting to what they termed “the frivolous and laughable” allegations of corruption leveled against Kyari by a group led by one Comrade Kabir Matazu, who was reported to have stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on Tuesday, demanding a comprehensive probe and investigation into the NNPCL transactions for the past five years under Kyari.
The anti-graft group expressed surprise that the Matazu-led group had the audacity to hide under their name in alleging widespread frauds and irregularities in the handling of the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the nation’s refineries under Kyari’s leadership.
The anti-graft group maintained that Matazu and his co-travelers are not known to them and therefore cannot hide under their name to do the bidding of some unscrupulous and mendacious unpatriotic politicians who are on a vendetta mission.
The anti-graft group noted that Kyari’s major achievement has been the revival of Nigeria’s decades-long moribund refineries.
“Even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be shocked at the outburst of this faceless group against Kyari, who, while dissolving the board of NNPCL led by him, noted the startling achievements of the board,” they noted.
“Under his leadership, long-stalled production activities at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have roared back to life, with the Kaduna Refinery beckoning. This audacious maneuver has put a lie to the long-held belief that the refineries would never come back to life.
“This move would surely engender energy security and ensure that Nigeria’s refining capacity could finally begin to meet domestic demand, with much more for exports sooner rather than later.
“Kyari, recognizing that public refineries alone cannot meet the nation’s needs, reportedly came up with strong collaborations with private refineries. The climax of this effort was the integration of the Dangote Refinery – a strategic partnership (this started with a direct investment in Dangote Refinery) that not only expanded Nigeria’s refining capabilities but also introduced healthy competition into a previously monopolized industry.
“Kyari’s forward-thinking approach has set the stage for a more dynamic and self-reliant energy sector. While some may wish to attribute some of NNPC’s challenges and failures to him, the discerning would rather give him his flowers for his ability to achieve results despite the tortuous and oppressive terrain.
“From overseeing the commercialization of NNPC to fostering partnerships that would ultimately bring renewed investor confidence, he has consistently delivered results.
“His commitment to opening up NNPC Limited for more transparency, epitomized by Nigeria’s compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), has set a new benchmark for governance in the oil and gas sector.”
They thereby demanded the immediate arrest of the imposters and their sponsors to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to hijack the name of the association for similar motives.
