Seek Arrest Of Promoters 

The Northern Defence Network (NDN) has called for the arrest of leaders of the ‘Kyari Must Go Now’ group so as to interrogate their motive in threatening to shutdown economic activities in the country by occupying strategic national assets if the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, is not relieved of his position.

This was even as the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, yesterday, dissociated itself from the call for Kyari’s resignation, saying that selfish youth groups and coalitions were behind the movement.

The Arewa group, in a statement yesterday by its Chairman, Abubakar Nuhu Sani, said it was compelled by true patriotism and love for country “to react to a rude, incoherent and indecent purported petition against the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari.”

The statement added: “The authors of the senseless petition, apparently commissioned by self-appointed enemies of the NNPCL GCEO recommended among other things, a Forensic Audit of the Fuel Subsidy regime in the last eight years.

“In an attempt to rub President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in their un-statesmanlike, misguided misadventure, the obscure coalition claimed to be his key supporters after which they threatened to mobilise and organise a one million youth march to compel compliance.

“Constituting themselves into an imminent national security threat and apparent saboteurs of the Tinubu administration, the authors of the felonious petition, some of whom claim to be lawyers, vowed to shut down such critical national economic assets as the East-West Road, the Benin-Ore Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road, the Asaba-Onitsha Road and mobilise another 5OO youths to shut down the NNPC Towers, Abuja.”

According to Sani, these are actions that are not only felonious and sabotaging the nation’s progress but also pose a significant threat to national security.

“Therefore, it is imperative that these groups be dealt with accordingly to safeguard the nation’s economic stability and security.”
“The disruption of transportation routes and the oil industry undermines economic progress, regional integration and foreign investment. Moreover, these actions can lead to social unrest, fuel shortages and violence, jeopardising the nation’s stability.”

While calling for the arrest of the identified signatories to the petition to safeguard Nigeria’s economic stability and security, Abbah said swift action must be taken to ensure the uninterrupted flow of economic activities, protect national progress and maintain the safety and well-being of Nigerian citizens.

In a statement, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, described the coalition pushing for Kyari’s resignation as self-serving.

Okwu asked President Tinubu to ignore people whom, he said, were masquerading to be protecting the interest of Nigerians, but had their mission buried in the selfish desires of a few cabal in the oil and gas industry.

He noted that from the 2019 till date, myriads of achievements had been made under Kyari, stressing that contrary to claims, the NNPC under Kyari had indeed done well.

He identified some of Kyari’s achievements as: “Exploration in the inland basins – drilling of the Kolmani River II Well culminating in oil found in commercial quantity in the Upper Benue Trough. Resolution of the dispute involving Shell and Belema Oil that shut in over 30,000barrels per day production in OML 25.

“Execution of the Abo OML 125 Heads of Terms leading to the resolution of the issues around most of the deep offshore Production Sharing Contracts. This paved the way for the renewal of OML 125 and further investment.

“Resolution of dispute agreements with SNEPCo and other PSC partners to resolve the disputes around another deep offshore block, OML 118, leading to the renewal of that acreage with the prospect of a new $10billion investment in the development of the Bonga South-East Field.

“Successful resolution of 1993 PSC dispute which holds over 90 per cent of our Deepwater production has paved the way for unlocking over seven billion barrels of oil, 20Tcf of gas reserves, potential investment of up to US$40 billion over the next five years, and at the same time relieves NNPC of almost US$10 billion in contingent liabilities.”