Over 200 civil society groups under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Poverty in Africa (CoSGAPA), on Tuesday, demanded the sack of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Engr Mele Kyari to resign over the biting fuel scarcity resulting in hike and its toll on NIGERIANS.
The demand for Kyari’s sack or his resignation by the groups is on the heels of what they alleged as high level of incompetence and corruption in the oil sector, which according to them had compounded the hardship Nigerians are passing through.
Speaking during a world press conference held in Abuja, the National Spokesperson of CoSGAPA, Mr. Aderonke Adebisi, said they condemn vehemently the suffering of Nigerians which he described as man-made scarcity in a ploy to stage Nigerians against the Tinubu Government and portray the President in bad light to the world.
He said, “We are really pained and suspect acts of sabotage to the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reposition and restore Nigeria’s economy but unfortunately, the actions of the Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, Nigeriam National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Engr Mele Kyari, tilts towards the way of a saboteur by allowing fuel scarcity to escalate and brought about untold suffering on Nigerians and their businesses.
The Civil Society groups also said it would mobilise her members across the nation for a nationwide protest to press on their demands for the resignation or sack of Engr Mele Kyari, the NNPCL GCEO and for a thorough investigation of key actors in the petroleum industry.
“The entire nation is engulfed with this scarcity that had negatively impacted the Naira appreciation, prices of commodities are now beyond the reach of Nigerians including high transport fares, inability to run their businesses, and the people are agitated because nobody is exempted.
In fact, we have come to see and know about the abysmal performance of Kyari and his team, whereby the NNPC Limited has become an epicenter of controversy due to the misguided actions of Mele Kyari, which not only undermine President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda but also cast a shadow on the credibility of the National oil company.
“We call on you Mr President today to demand Engr. Mele Kyari’s immediate sack or resignation from office as GCEO of NNPC Limited due to his deficiency in character required of his office and in a government that promises to renew the Hope of Nigerians. The scarcity of fuel, necessitating indiscriminate hike in price across the country is a bitter taste for Nigerians to swallow. It is time for Mr Kyari to go. We say in clear terms, Kyari MUST go.
“It is in the best interest of our nation that Engr. Mele Kyari’s alleged corrupt tendencies are addressed promptly to safeguard the integrity of this administration and ensure that the objectives set for the NNPC limited are pursued diligently and without any corrupt tendency.
“Therefore, we are issuing a 7-day ultimatum to the GCEO of NNPC Limited, Engr. Mele Kyari to resign from office or else we will storm the NNPC headquarters with our members to protest against you and across the country.”
Meanwhile, he added that, “President Tinubu has indeed distinguished himself as man who truly loves Nigeria, his continued trips across the world to woo international investors to Nigeria can not work with persons like Mele Kyari and his cohorts who due to their selfishness has continued destroy the good image of our dear Nation with your corrupt ways.”
