The purported July 2017 memo by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu allegedly warning against the shortage of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol has been described as a ploy to discredit and embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
Sources at the ministry told InsideBusiness that there was no memo from the petroleum minister, and that the one in circulation was fake and meant to tarnish the image of the administration.
“There was no such memo” said the source who alleged that Kachikwu had been unhappy since his removal as the GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“Those of us who are familiar with the workings of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are aware that since his removal as the GMD of the NNPC on alleged inefficiency and lack of adherence to due process, Kachikwu has been full of disdain for the Government of President Buhari, under which he currently serves as a junior Minister”.
The source who was anonymous as he is not authorized to speak to the media said “It is therefore not surprising that at every opportunity, he resorts to campaign of calumny and blackmail against the government and those that are saddled with responsibility of managing the oil and gas industry. These have been his trade mark”.
It would be recalled that Kachikwu distanced himself from the circulation of the said memo noting that it was fake and not from him.
“Our attention has been drawn to a message making the rounds on social media of a purported memo by the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu to the President on the fuel crisis. The message and it’s content is false,” Idang Alibi, Director Press Ministry of Petroleum Resources said in a statement as he urged Nigerians to disregard the memo.
The source in reaction to the statement from the minister’s media man noted that retraction is weak and belated.
“This was the same tactics they employed when he came up with the issue of non-existent $25 billion contracts. He and those he represent, are desperate to bring Buhari’s government down for selfish ends. This is very sad and Nigerians must not allow people who have vested interests to rubbish the good work the President has initiated in NNPC through Dr. Baru,” the source said.
“With the current reforms going on in the NNPC, the Federal Government is beginning to reap the benefits of a productive policy. NNPC is making profits in some of its subsidiaries unlike in the past. We know that this is not going down well with people who are used to the old ways of doing business”.
” The President had said that business in NNPC and its subsidiaries will no longer be as usual.Those who are no longer profiteering are desperate and wants to frustrate these reforms by all means necessary. But I can assure you that Dr. Baru and his team will not be deterred or intimidated ,” the source told our correspondent.
Comments are closed.