Some stakeholders within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which is under the aegis of the Tinubu Legacy Coalition (TLC), have called on President Bola Tinubu to remove the heads of the national oil and gas regulators over alleged failure to effectively manage the sector.
The group made this call in a letter to the President jointly signed by Hon Bala Abu, Convener/National President, Dr. Jeremmiah Okino, Co-Convener, Comrade Gabriel Gbana, Secretary, Dr. Thomas Terna, Princess Ajibola and 95 others.
The party representatives called on the President to remove Mele Kyari, Gbenga Komolafe and Farouk Ahmed from their positions as chairmen of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The APC faction cited the ongoing fuel crisis, which has led to constant queues at petrol stations across the country, vandalism of pipelines and oil theft, as failures by Kyari and other officials in the oil sector.
There are also reports that the refinery managed by NNPCL in Rivers State has failed to commence operations again after about six postponements.
The group also claimed that the contribution of the oil and gas sector to the country’s gross domestic product had declined and stressed that the country’s reputation was being damaged worldwide.
The letter states, in part: “We must express our deep concern about the state of the country’s oil and gas industry. Although the sector has the potential to boost economic growth, it is plagued by inefficiency, corruption and mismanagement.
“The continued presence of Mele Kyari, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe and Farouk Ahmed in office has done more harm than good to President Tinubu’s image,” the letter said.
“The oil and gas sector is in a desolate state. Fuel shortages, vandalism of pipelines and oil theft are commonplace.
“The sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP has declined and the country’s reputation has been damaged.
“The lack of transparency and accountability in this sector has led to widespread corruption, with billions of dollars lost through fraudulent activities.”
