By Adewole Kehinde
“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway – Mother Teresa“
I woke up listening to Newspapers Review and what caught my attention was the attempt to remove the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari for allegedly “stepped on toes” over his stand on fuel subsidy and transparency.
I became so mad on why few people who are called the Cabals hate transparency, accountability and progress of Nigeria.
I recalled the NNPC, before the appointment of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari as GMD, is seen as the Headquarters of corruption.
In the words of Kirsten Gillibrand “I find that when you open the door toward openness and transparency, a lot of people will follow you through“, but unfortunately, transparency seems to mean the opposite to enemies of Nigeria as they plot the removal of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari for been accountable to Nigerians that owns the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
It is on record that Mallam Kyari has brought absolute transparency and accountability in NNPC’s management of Nigerian oil and gas revenues and infrastructure.
Since his appointment, he has created a conducive environment for teamwork, proficient communication and partnership within and outside the NNPC system.
Mallam Kyari has achieved a milestone with the release in June 2020, of the 2018 Audited Financial Statement of the NNPC.
Those planning his removal should rather applaud him for doing a good job of managing relationships with stakeholders and the oil-producing communities.
I can beat my chest severally to say Malam Kyari’s leadership at the NNPC has been largely characterized by outstanding vision in commitment to efficiency, openness, transparency and prudence in service delivery geared at attaining the objectives of the NNPC and meeting the expectations of shareholders.
The NNPC and its joint venture partners under Mallam Kyari have continued to contribute to poverty reduction, economic and social development.
The introduction of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence agenda introduced by Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari has seen to the February 2021 NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report which is the 67th in the series since his resumption as the 19th GMD of the NNPC.
Sometime in March, the GMD said that the NNPC is paying as much as N120 billion to subsidize the price of petrol monthly.
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, said this at the fifth edition of the Special Ministerial briefings coordinated by the Presidential Communications Team.
He said the cost was covered by the NNPC.
Mallam Kyari said while the actual cost of importation and handling charges amounts to N234 per litre, the government is selling at N162 per liter.
He said sooner or later Nigerians would have to pay the actual cost for the commodity.
The N120billion paid monthly on subsidy by NNPC will go into programmes that will cushion the effect of subsidy removal.
In all honesty, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari seems to have Nigerians at heart than those elected officials who are only interested in more revenue that is not getting to the people in their State.
It seems elected officials are very convenient with the heightening level of insecurity, youth restiveness and total collapse of the system happening in the the country
The Federal Government has commenced the necessary steps by the ongoing rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery while making efforts to ensure that others refineries in Nigeria work perfectly and also give an opportunities for private investors to invest more in modular refineries in order to boost local production and supply, create employment and increase the revenue of the country.
Nigerians will stand against those bringing the ideas of removing the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari
Nigerians stand by Kyari’s Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence agenda.
Adewole Kehinde is the Publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached via 08166240846 and 08123608662
