“Calls for Kyari’s Removal Are Aimed at Undermining Tinubu,” Says Ohanaeze Think Tank

A prominent South-East pressure group, the Ohanaeze Think Tank, has asserted that recent demands for the removal of Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), are an indirect attack on President Bola Tinubu. The President also holds the position of Minister of Petroleum Resources.

In a statement issued on Monday in Enugu, Dr. Azubuike Ajuluchukwu, Coordinator, and Dr. Cletus Akinyili, Deputy Coordinator of the Ohanaeze Think Tank, condemned the calls for Kyari’s ouster, insisting that these efforts are thinly veiled attempts to undermine the President. The group emphasized that such attempts would ultimately fail.

The group further called for a probe into the activities of the now-disbanded House committee led by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, which had been investigating the NNPCL. The Ohanaeze Think Tank applauded the House of Representatives for dissolving the committee but insisted that the investigation should not end there.

“It’s heartening that after a public outcry, the House of Representatives finally dissolved the so-called committee that was supposed to investigate the allegations against the Group CEO of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, by the group of 15 members of the House,” the statement read. “But the matter should not end there. That committee of 15 members, led by Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, must also be investigated.”

The Think Tank highlighted concerns about external influences, particularly questioning the interests of certain individuals in the Dangote Refinery. They aligned themselves with the position of the ‘1 Agenda’ group, labeling the calls for Kyari’s removal as hypocritical and praising his leadership in transforming the NNPC Ltd. under challenging conditions.

“We have every reason to suspect that the calls for Kyari’s removal are targeted at the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the petroleum minister,” the statement continued. “We, therefore, call on the House not to stop at the dissolution of the ad-hoc committee but to also investigate the conduct of some of its members.”

The group remains firm in its stance, urging vigilance against any attempts to destabilize the administration through unwarranted attacks on its key officials.