A group, the Tinubu/Shettima Mandate Actualization Group has demanded the immediate sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kolo Kyari over the current fuel scarcity in the country.
According to the group, the current fuel scarcity was aimed at discrediting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among Nigerians, noting that the problem is ill timed.
The fuel scarcity, the group further stated has worsen the suffering of Nigerians after the removal of fuel subsidy. They put the blame on the chief executive of the government-controlled oil corporation, Kyari.
The group made its position on the matter known in a statement issued on Monday stating that kyari did not prepare for the ongoing maintenance of refineries in Europe, the cause of the current scarcity in the country.
NNPLC should have stocked up enough fuel in anticipation of what is happening in Europe, the group said, adding that the ongoing fuel scarcity is capable of fueling more anti-Tinubu sentiment in the country.
Part of the statement said: “The scarcity is coming at a time when Nigerians are still struggling to adjust to the reality of the Petroleum Motor Spirit subsidy removal and depreciation of the Naira, which has resulted in a general increase in the prices of goods. Despite the recent appreciation of the Naira, marketers have refused to cut down the prices of their products.
“The ongoing scarcity will certainly add to the burden of inflation as the cost of transportation has already risen by over 100% in the areas assessed. The resultant effect will lead to hunger in the land as most families can no longer fend for themselves.
“We are particularly sad that the Mele Kolo Kyari-led NNPCL, which is the sole importer of the product promised Nigerians that the Port Harcourt Refinery would be ready in March 2024, the month has come and gone. The Nigerian Senate, disturbed by the plights of Nigerians visited the Refinery for inspection and informed Nigerians that the facility would be ready by December. The inability of Kyari to meet up with the timeline of the revamping of the industry despite adequate funding ought to have resigned or be sacked, if we are serious as a country.
“The ongoing Scarcity is attributed to the ongoing turnaround maintenance of refineries across Europe. This didn’t come without notice. A serious regulator or business ought to have stocked a large volume of products that will sustain Nigerians throughout this dark period. This, like other incidents, has proven the administrative weakness of Mr Kyari-led NNPCL.
“We need to remind President Tinubu that Naira confiscation wasn’t the only strategy deployed by his adversaries in the last administration to frustrate his ambition, fuel scarcity was also a veritable tool deployed. For the significant part of 2022 through early 2023, Nigerians lived with the scourge of Scarcity, yet, we were convinced to mobilize our people to vote for you.
“While Emefiele is facing the music of his actions and evil against Nigerians, we are sad that Mr President decided to reward Mele Kyari with an extended appointment. How can one man cause your ambassadors, your compatriots who love, trust and respect you to want to go against you?
“Given these circumstances, one is compelled to ask if Mr President believes Nigerians are second fiddle to Mele Kyari. It is on the strength of the above that we wish to call on Mr President to urgently sack and investigate the activities of Mr Kyari-led NNPCL to build Nigeria’s trust in government.
“If this problem is not resolved in 7 days, we will have no option but to call Nigerians out to peacefully occupy our streets until normalcy and enduring solutions are preferred in the oil and gas sector and continue to call for sack, arrest and investigation of Kyari for subjecting millions of Nigerians to undeserving sufferings,” the group said.
Kyari was reappointed as the chief executive of the oil company by President Tinubu last September.
