…I’ve not sighted or read the letter –NNPC spokesman    •It’s protracted cold war –Stakeholders

From Uche Usim, Abuja

The frosty relationship between the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, came to the fore yesterday as a petition written by the Minister to President Muhammadu Buhari outlining alleged gross insurbodination and illegalities of the NNPC boss was leaked to the public by an unknown government official. 

In the petition dated August 30, 2017, Kachikwu stated that the NNPC GMD carried out massive changes in the national oil company without recourse to his office as the Supervising Ministry. 

The peeved Minister further noted that the policy actions taken by Baru were never discussed at board level, despite the fact that members meet monthly to discuss weighty issues and take key decisions. 

“It is in the spirit of service and absolute belief in your leadership and integrity that I have after one year of these disrespectful and humiliating conducts by the GMD decided to bring these to your attention. 

“My prayers are that we save the NNPC and the oil industry from collapse arising from the above non-transparent practices and empower the board you inaugurated to do the needful. That you save the office of the Minister of State from further humiliation and disrespect by compelling all parastatals to submit oversight regulatory mandate and proper supervision which I am supposed to manage on your behalf. 

“That you kindly instruct the GMD to effectively leave the NNPC to run as a proper institution and report out along due process lines to the board and that all reviews be done with the Minister of State prior to your decision. That to set the right examples, you approve the recently announced reorganisation and changes be suspended until the GMD, myself and the board have relevant input to same”, Kachikwu’s petition stated. 

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Commenting on the development, the Spokesman of NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu said “I have not sighted or read the petition. So, it is difficult to comment on what I have not seen or read”, he told Daily Sun on phone. 

However, stakeholders believe the ugly developments never came as a surprise to industry watchers who insist Baru, since being appointed the GMD over a year ago, had always bypassed Kachikwu to get approvals directly from the Presidency. 

The NNPC GMD had also carried out major reorganisations at the NNPC without Kachikwu’s input. 

In March this year, the NNPC made 54 new appointments and redeployment allegedly without the input of the supervising Ministry. 

Again, in August this year, there was another reorganisation affecting 55 senior staff of the national oil company, which the Minister also pointed out that he had no input in. 

Stakeholders described the development as very unhealthy for both civil service and the nation’s economy as a whole. 

They insist there should orderliness and strict obedience to the rules of subordination to ensure a healthy work environment.