Oil & Gas
FEMI Falana, SAN, a human rights lawyer, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to relinquish his position as petroleum minister.
Buhari has held on to the position of petroleum minister since he named Ibe Kachikwu as the minister of state for Petroleum Resources.
Falana made the call following some allegations from Kachikwu accusing Maikantu Baru, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, of violating due process in the award of $25 billion contract and insubordination.
The minister had made the allegations in a petition to Muhammadu, which eventually leaked to the media.
In any case, Kachikwu had a closed door meeting with the president in his office on Friday, October 6. Baru, who is yet to speak publicly on the matter, was also at the presidential villa where he met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
In his statement on Sunday, October 8, Falana said it was better for Buhari to appoint someone else to supervise the ministry. “Having regard to the enormous responsibilities of the office of the minister of Petroleum Resources and chairman of the NNPC Board President Buhari is advised to relinquish the ministerial position in view of his busy schedule and appoint another Nigerian of proven integrity and competence to superintend the affairs of the ministry.
“If this advice is accepted in good faith and acted upon without any delay it would remove undue pressure on the health of the president and allow him to attend to urgent matters of the state,” he said.
Besides, Falana also called for Baru’s suspension while calling for an investigation into the matter by relevant agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
– Oct 9, 2017 @ 16:15 GMT /
Tags: Baru Buhari should quit as Petroleum Minister – Falana
