Maikanti Baru and Ike Kachikwu
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream)
Senator Tayo Alasoadura, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to
immediately suspend the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr.
Ibe Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
Alasoadura specifically stated that Baru’s continued presence at
the NNPC could jeopardise the Senate investigation into the allegations
that he allegedly approved contracts to the tune of $25bn without the
approval of the corporation’s board.
The senator said this during a live programme on Channels Television titled, Sunday Politics.
When asked if they should be suspended, Alasoadura said, “I
believe so; especially the man who is doing the day-to-day running of
the organisation. In order not to hinder or hamper that investigation,
because records will be needed and even from the date of the leakage of
that letter, I think action should have been taken to ensure that
nothing will be missing when investigations start
“So, I think the two of them should be asked to step aside and
when investigation is over, whoever is culpable will go and whoever is
not culpable, will continue with his duties.”
The lawmaker, who represents Ondo Central Senatorial District, said
one of the causes of the problem was the fact that Buhari doubled as
the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Describing the arrangement as faulty, Alasoadura said Buhari should
step down and appoint a substantive minister who would be able to do
the job more effectively.
He added, “Judging from the many problems plaguing our country
today, I believe Mr. President should devote more time to other things
and let an independent person run the petroleum resources ministry who
will then report to him twice or once a week.’’
Alasoadura confirmed an exclusive report by Sunday PUNCH that 40
firms, which received the $25bn contracts would be invited by the
Senate.
He added, “We are probing them because we want to get to the
root of this matter. If you are doing an investigation, even those who
have not been mentioned may have to be invited, but as of today, these
are the people that we think should be invited and from there, we may
need to invite many more organisations as the probe continues.”
Meanwhile, The PUNCH learnt that the firms to be invited by the
Senate include Oando, Sahara Energy, MRS Oil and Gas, AA Rano, Bono,
Masters Energy, Eterna Oil and Gas, Cassiva Energy, Hyde Energy,
Brittania U, North West Petroleum, Optima Energy, AMG Petroenergy,
Arkiren Oil and Gas Limited and Shoreline Limited.
Others are Entourage Oil, Setana Energy and Prudent Energy,
Trafigura, Enoc Trading, BP Trading, Total Trading, UCL Petro Energy,
Mocho, Tevier Petroleum, Heritage Oil, Levene Energy, Litasco Supply and
Trading, Glencore, Hindustan Refinery, Varo Energy, Sonara Refinery,
Bharat Petroleum and Cepsa.
The companies are listed on the NNPC website as benefiting from crude term contracts.
In a related development, the OurMumuDonDo group, led by popular
musician, Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, said it would meet on Tuesday
to conclude on how, where and when to stage protests over the $25bn
contracts allegedly awarded without due process.
The Publicity Secretary of the group, Raphael Adebayo, revealed this to The PUNCH during a telephone interview on Sunday.
Adebayo said the group was also planning a protest against Buhari’s
delay in taking action on the report submitted to him by Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo on the probe of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the National
Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ayo Oke.
When asked if the protest would be taken to the NNPC, Adebayo added, “We are looking at staging one this week. We are looking at combining this one and the SGF issue into one protest.
“We can already see the reaction of the Presidency. The Presidency is trying to reconcile both parties (Kachikwu and Baru).
“On Friday, the President and Baru still prayed together at the
National Mosque. So, you can see the response. Between now and Tuesday,
we will reach a decision on the next line of action.”
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