A group of stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of the Tinubu Legacy Coalition (TLC), has urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the heads of the nation’s oil and gas regulatory agencies over alleged failure to effectively manage the sector.
In a letter to the president, jointly signed by 100 stakeholders, including Hon Bala Abu, Dr. Jeremmiah Okino, Comrade Gabriel Gbana, Dr. Thomas Terna, and Princess Ajibola, the group called for the removal of Mele Kyari, Gbenga Komolafe, and Farouk Ahmed as heads of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), respectively.
“We are compelled to express our deep concern over the state of the nation’s oil and gas industry. Despite the sector’s potential to drive economic growth, it has been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement,” the letter reads.
The group cited the incessant fuel crisis, pipeline vandalism, oil theft, and the failure of the refinery in Rivers State to commence operations as evidence of the officials’ incompetence. They also alleged that the oil and gas sector’s contribution to the nation’s GDP has dwindled, and the country’s reputation is being tarnished globally.
“The recent protest is only a sample of the tarnish these people can bring to Mr. President’s reputation as a leader who has the interest of Nigerians at heart. Deliberate steps must be taken to save the economy and Mr. President’s image from these sabotages,” the letter states.
The stakeholders claimed that the officials’ actions led to an artificial scarcity of fuel, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and creating an environment conducive to the recent #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest. They accused the officials of sabotaging the industry through economic sabotage, including strategic support for criminal and illegal bunkering, and covert enabling of militants to undermine the industry.
“We note with concerns that even after the leadership of these agencies has compromised the economy with their illegal actions, they resorted to using their offices for fighting personal vendetta that added no value to the economy and certainly did nothing to assuage the hardship visited on Nigerians because of their avarice and incompetence,” the letter reads.
The group expressed solidarity with President Tinubu, acknowledging his efforts to make difficult decisions, including ending the petrol subsidy regime. However, they emphasized that the continued stay in office of the officials has done more harm than good to the president’s image and called for their removal to restore transparency and accountability in the sector.
“We are confident that a timely sack of the leadership of these agencies will further demonstrate to Nigerians that Your Excellency is committed to making life better for Nigerians by not tolerating those who undermine the economy and make life difficult for citizens,” the letter concludes.
