Why Buhari Disgraced Ibe Kachikwu +TY Danjuma and IBB Connection
The face-off between the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, has been trending in the media for some days now, following a leaked letter written by the former to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to take urgent actions on matters ranging from alleged illegal practices to insubordination on the par t of the latter. But what is unknown to many is the fact that PMB, as Buhari is fondly called, is actually the engineer of the misunderstanding between the duo.
Global News gathered that the letter was deliberately leaked by the camp of Kachikwu, in order to expose the rot in NNPC, and to forcefully seek the attention of the presidency, after Buhari refused to acknowledge the letter delivered to him since 30 August.
Kachikwu, who had been denied access to see the president, was perturbed that after one month, even the letter he sent to the president was not given any sense of attention, a development our source in the presidency claimed is Buhari’s way of getting back at Kachikwu and his godfathers.
TY Danjuma, Nuel Ojei and Ibrahim Babangida are Kachikwu’s godfathers, and it was Danjuma who allegedly nominated him for the post in Buhari’s government.
The trio of Kachikwu’s godfathers supported Buhari to be president on the condition that they will nominate the minister of petroleum. But after PMB won the election, he reneged, making him GMD and minister of state for petroleum instead.
Buhari was said to have told Danjuma and co that his people insisted that he can’t give out the ministry, so appointing himself the minister was the middle ground. But the hawks won the day Kachikwu was removed as GMD.
The leaked letter from Kachikwu titled ‘MATTERS OF INSUBORDINATION AND LACK OF ADHERENCE TO DUE PROCESS PERPETUATED BY THE GMD NNPC – DR. BARU’ reads in part:
“I would have wanted to come personally after receiving you at the airport to felicitate with you and discuss matters herein contained. However, I have been unable to secure an appointment to see you, despite very many attempts.
“Parastatals in the ministry and all CEOs of these parastatals must be aligned with the policy drive of the ministry to allow the sector register the growth that has eluded it for many years. To do otherwise or to exempt any of the parastatals would be to emplace a stunted growth for the industry.
“The Board of NNPC, which you appointed and, which has met every month since its inauguration and, which by the statutes of NNPC is meant to review these planned appointments and postings, was never briefed. Members of the Board learnt of these appointments from the pages of social media and the press release of NNPC.
“My prayers most humbly and respectfully are: That we save NNPC and the oil industry from collapse arising from the above non-transparent practices and empower the Board you inaugurated to do the needful.
“That you save the office of the Minister of State from further humiliation and disrespect by compelling all parastatals to submit to oversight regulatory mandate and proper supervision which I am supposed to manage on your behalf.
“You kindly instruct the GMD to effectively leave NNPC to run as a proper institution and report out along due process lines to the Board and that Your Excellency instructs that all reviews be done with the Minister of State, prior to your decision.
“That to set the right examples, you approve that the recently announced reorganisation changes be suspended until the GMD, myself and the Board have made relevant input to same. This will send a clear signal of process and transparency.
“These, in my view, Mr. President, will provide you balanced analysis on issues and avoid exposing the exalted office of Mr. President to ridicule. It will also reduce non-productive, unsubstantiated rumour peddling.
“Mr. President, I thank you for the opportunities given me to serve and I wish you continued full recovery. I remain loyal and very proud of you sir”.
