Ike Amos
04 October 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Wednesday, stated that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu’s letter to President Muhammadu Buhari is diversionary and an attempt to truncate the good works of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Maikanti Baru.
IPMAN, in a statement signed by its National Secretary, Mr. Danladi Pasali, described Kachikwu’s allegations against Baru as ridiculous, an attempt to divert attention from the successes achieved by Baru and invitation of chaos to the already sanitized petroleum sector.
It said, “We, therefore, noticed some attempt to divert attention on the achievements so far recorded in the sector, with the recent letter written by the Minister of State of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and leaked to media as the latest one among them.
“In the said letter, the minister accused the NNPC management of insubordination. We consider this statement as very ridiculous. With his position as chairman of NNPC board, the minister should have resolved any internal issue at the Board meeting, not to resort to media war.
“We are not surprised that Baru was accused of insubordination by the minister because if the GMD had allowed himself to become an errand boy to the minister, just as some of the past GMDs did, he would not have been accused of such.”
IPMAN stated that as major stakeholders in the downstream oil and gas sector, it acknowledges the successes achieved since the assumption of the current Group Managing Director of the NNPC and his team, adding that Baru-led administration had been carrying out outstanding reforms which sanitized the downstream oil sector.
“To this end, IPMAN, as major stakeholders with highest distribution outlets across the country, hereby reiterates our supports to the GMD and his team especially, the current Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Marketing Company, Alhaji Umar Aliyu Ajiya for the good work they have been doing.
“Part of the reforms that Dr Baru’s team are executing which became a nightmare to some stakeholders like the minister and some labour unions, include the efficiency in petroleum products supply, appointing technocrats into right positions and sanitizing the imports of petroleum products which stabilizes the fuel supply in the country within the last two years,” it added.
Therefore, IPMAN called on President Buhari to disregard any attempt to scuttle the achievements in the downstream oil sector especially now that some politicians will resort to saboteurs as the election year is approaching.