Editorial
NNPC: Kachikwu, Baru And Presidency
In what many well-meaning Nigerians described as shame of a nation, the current leadership tussle, now in public domain, between Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru over grave allegations of contract scam valued at $25 billion (about N9 trillion) clearly evidences the rot, mismanagement, mal-administration and monumental corruption in the nation’s public service.
Hitherto, the NNPC, has over the years ranked among the topmost corrupt public organisations in Nigeria, where billions of petro-dollars had been swindled by successive managements of the corporation. Indeed, the NNPC has always been accused of non-remittance of funds to the Federation Account and misappropriation of oil proceeds which account for a chunk of the national wealth.
It is against the backdrop of the $25 billion contract scam that is currently rocking the NNPC that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the NNPC’s management led by Baru to expeditiously respond to allegations of corruption, violation of contract laws and non-adherence to due process as presented by Kachikwu in a petition to the Presidency.
It is important to note that Kachikwu’s protest, is already generating ripples within the Presidency and the National Assembly as the Senate has swiftly set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the NNPC’s chief executive following a motion by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and seconded by Senator Kabiru Marafa.
While we think that it is very unethical for two principal government functionaries in the Buhari-led administration to wash their dirty leanings in the public, we strongly believe that the allegations, as weighty as they are, have very serious consequences on the nation’s economy and the transparency of the APC led Federal Government.
Apart from the N9trillion contract scam, NNPC’s re-organisation resulting in the recent appointment of 55 executives and senior managers, without due consideration of the South-South geo-political zone (Niger Delta region) from which Nigeria’s crude is derived, to say the least, is worrisome, vexatious and unacceptable.
That only two out of 55 top managers are from the region that milks the honey tends to portray Buhari’s administration as very insensitive, sectional and anti-Niger Delta, and makes the Niger Deltans lose confidence in not just the APC-led Federal Government but also in the Nigerian state itself.
The startling revelations impinging mainly on the frosty relationship between Kachikwu and Baru as embarrassing as they are, indeed, bring to the fore the high-level sleeze among top officials in the NNPC, widely regarded as “House of Corruption” in certain quarters.
Though we endorse the query by Buhari to Baru, The Tide insists that any attempt to play down the mind-boggling allegations will, no doubt, put a big question mark and credibility problem on the integrity of the Buhari-led administration, especially the anti-graft campaign.
We think that failure to probe the NNPC’s scandal will further give credence to critics’ position that the fight against corruption is selective and targeted at political enemies.
In fact, NNPC’s probe has become more inevitable and imperative as the opposition has already accused the APC-led Federal Government of shopping for funds through fraudulent means for the re-election of President Buhari in the 2019 general elections.
We, therefore, join well-meaning Nigerians, including the Senate to call for the immediate suspension of Baru as the chief executive of NNPC, and setting up of a high-powered independent inquiry into the NNPC’s scandal.
Nigerians are watching with keen interest as the drama in the NNPC unfolds. Baru’s explanation to the Presidency is not enough to assuage the feelings and perception of most Nigerians on the weighty allegations by Kachikwu. We think that it is time to address the rot that NNPC represents in the corruption perception index of the country. The time to act is now!