No fewer than twenty-five civil society organisations (CSOs) of northern extraction under a coalition of ‘Concerned Northern Forum’ yesterday called for the resignations of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd, (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and the CEO of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, over the lingering fuel crisis being experienced across the nation.
Recall that the country has for the past three weeks been thrown into fuel scarcity due to imported adulterated fuel, causing long queues at petrol-filling stations.
According to an issued press statement jointly issued by the groups chairman and the spokesman, Ibrahim Bature and Comrade Abdulsalam Mohd Kazeem, respectively, stated that, We demand, with immediate effect, the resignation of the NNPCs GMD, Mele Kyari and the CEO of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, for negatively breaking the record of the current administration over persistent fuel scarcity.
They also demanded that the NNPC management should be sacked without any compensation “and make public genuine and comprehensive names of those involved in this national scandal and embarrassment of the current petroleum products’ scarcity all over the country”.
It also demanded that all households that have been directly affected by the adulterated fuel should be identified and paid adequate compensation for their damaged automobiles, machines and equipment within our region.
The group added: If our demands are not met in the next three working days, we shall occupy all NNPC zonal offices and its subsidiaries across our region and the FCT.
The statement explained that it was not just a mere threat, adding that its members would follow up with full action after the expiration of their ultimatum and will serve as a litmus test on the part of the Government on their fight against corruption and indiscipline.
According to the statement, The mistake made by NNPC under the current management has caused us a lot as a nation; for instance, they claimed it will cost our nation over N200 billion to mop up and sanitize the adulterated fuel and at the same time, we dont have enough facilities, so they will have to evacuate the bad products first before we can have access to the new products.
As of today, the said products have already damaged many automobiles, generators, machines and other sundry equipment of citizenry nationwide.
It lamented that the NNPC tried severally to cover up the importation of the fake fuel and what it called their gross incompetency, saying that they all witnessed how those they alleged to have imported the product with high Methanol qualities above their required standards came up with superior point and position to vindicate their companies and maintained that they knew nothing about it.
The statement explained that NPCC should bury their head in shame and stop chasing shadows and be patriotic in their dealings with Nigerians.
It noted that NNPCs quality inspection unit which comprises of GMO, SGS, Geochem and G&G did not conduct any test before the said products were discharged.
The statement explained that with the importation of the fake fuel, the NNPC had dragged the country backward due to what it called its deliberate errors.
