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The Joint Northern Action Groups has rejected what they described as fictitious call for the sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kolo Kyari.

They also rejected the call for the suspension of the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Adokye Tombomieye, the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Ali Muhammed Zahra and Managing Director, and National Petroleum Investment Management Services and Bala Wunti.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the Spokesperson of the groups, Comrade Abdulhameed Enaji, noted that they were challenging “the dubious protest staged in Abuja by some fictitious groups calling for the sack and probe of Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).”

They stated that “the obscure groups Northern Youth Advocacy for Good Governance Initiative and Arewa Youth Forum also called on the federal government to suspend the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Adokye Tombomieye, the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Ali Muhammed Zahra and Managing Director, National Petroleum Investment Management Services and Bala Wunti.

“We note with deep concern the ongoing campaign by sponsored groups of individuals masquerading as members of fictitious Northern Nigerian Youth groups calling for the removal of Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive of NNPCL.

“We are however happy that most discerning Nigerians and of course, the Federal Government appear to dismiss the protest as it was orchestrated by individuals who were only interested in advancing their own selfish interests, and not the collective good of Nigerians”, the groups said.

According to the Joint Northern Action Groups, “By now everyone, but chronic detractors, must be aware that NNPCL under the leadership of Mele Kyari has recorded enormous achievements in the oil sector.

“These achievements have been beneficial to Nigerians and have propelled the Nigerian economy forward.
One major achievement is the reduction of environmental pollution.

“NNPCL has put strategic measures in place to ensure that the environment is safeguarded and preserved. As a result, the levels of pollution have drastically reduced which has made the environment safer for Nigerians.

“Another significant achievement recorded by NNPCL is the absence of black soot over Port Harcourt in recent times. This is a result of NNPCL’s commitment to environmental safety which has resulted in cleaner air for the people of Port Harcourt.

“Foreign ships coming to steal crude oil from Nigeria waters have been drastically reduced following the stringent measures put in place by NNPCL under Mele Kyari. This has resulted in a significant drop in illegal crude oil sales and has helped the Nigerian Government in generating more revenue.

“Furthermore, Nigeria’s crude oil production has gone up under the leadership of Mele Kyari which has seen Nigeria regain its spot as Africa’s top crude oil producer from Angola. This has been beneficial to Nigerians as it has helped in boosting the Nigerian economy and increasing foreign reserves.

“Additionally, Nigeria’s foreign reserves are growing as a result of the income generated from crude oil sales. This has helped attract more investment to the oil sector, which has resulted in renewed investment in the Nigerian oil sector.

“The creation of jobs by Tantita, a subsidiary of NNPCL, has helped reduce the attacks on pipelines by militants and improved the security of oil installations in Nigeria.

“NNPCL under Mele Kyari has shown great performance and service delivery in the oil sector and is committed to continually safeguarding the environment and providing Nigerians with quality service delivery.

“Under the leadership of Mele Kyari, NNPCL has achieved significant accomplishments. These include generating revenue through the award of oil pipeline surveillance and security to Tantita, which has helped every state in Nigeria.

“Prior to this contract, Nigeria’s production had fallen to its lowest in 40 years, forcing the country to borrow with no hope of repaying. However, NNPCL recently announced that production has reached 1.6m barrels again.

“Another achievement is improving national security and territorial integrity. The Niger Delta was once becoming ungoverned because of oil thieves bringing vessels at any time. This was a threat to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

“NNPCL has contributed to reducing pollution and its subsequent social impact. It’s essential to protect the environment as it’s the single greatest resource of any society. Any destruction can lead to social crises.

“Under his watch, the NNPCL has made significant strides in the development of the Nigerian petroleum industry. We call on him to continue to do his best in the interest of Nigerians.

“We would like to state categorically that this so-called protest is the handiwork of selfish individuals who are only interested in advancing their own interests, and not the interests of Nigerians. We reject these individuals in their entirety and call on all Nigerians to disregard their call for the sack of Mele Kyari.

“As patriotic Nigerians we also commend outstanding leadership of NNPCL and call on him to continue to do his best in driving the growth and development of the Nigerian petroleum industry.

“We call on Nigerians to remain vigilant and reject any attempt by selfish individuals to use the guise of civil society to advance their own interests”, the groups stated.