The
Energy Reforms Advocates (ERA) have praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
for his decision to remove Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive
Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)
Limited.
In a statement on Wednesday,
Abdulkadri Isah, president of ERA, described the move as a courageous
step toward reforming Nigeria’s oil sector and tackling entrenched
corruption.
He said Kyari’s removal would
allow a full investigation into alleged fraudulent refinery projects
under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The
dismissal of Mele Kyari signals a new dawn in our nation’s commitment
to eradicating corruption in the oil and gas sector. We commend
President Tinubu for demonstrating the political will to confront these
challenges head-on,” Isah said.
He urged the
newly appointed leadership of the NNPC to prioritise an audit of past
projects and ensure accountability in the sector.
“The
probe into fake refinery projects must be swift and thorough. Nigerians
deserve to know how billions of dollars were allocated to non-existent
or uncompleted projects while the country continued to rely on fuel
imports,” he stated.
ERA called on relevant
anti-corruption agencies to support the process, warning that failure to
expose past mismanagement would hinder any meaningful reform.
“This
investigation should not end with a change in leadership. There must be
consequences for those who mismanaged funds and deceived Nigerians. The
government must set a precedent that corruption will no longer be
tolerated,” Isah added.
The group also
expressed optimism that under fresh leadership, the NNPC could regain
public trust and reposition itself as a driver of economic growth.
“With
competent leadership, the NNPC can finally fulfill its mandate. We
expect reforms that will boost local refining capacity, attract
investment, and ultimately reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported
petroleum products,” the statement read.
Kyari’s
removal was part of a broader shake-up of NNPC’s board, with former
Shell executive Bashir Bayo Ojulari appointed as the new GCEO and Ahmadu
Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.
The
restructuring aligns with the government’s vision of revitalising the
oil sector and increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and refining
capacity.
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