The Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged insubordination of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru.
Buhari had appointed Kachikwu as NNPC GMD in August 2015 but replaced him with Baru in July 2016, while Kachikwu was made the chairman of the NNPC board.
The minister, in the letter seen by THEWILL, accused Baru of “completely eroding” some of the reforms he introduced as head of the oil firm, as well as sidelining him in the re-organisation and reposting done in the NNPC, as the board was never briefed but got to know of the appointments on the pages of newspapers.
While lamenting that the NNPC has refused to report to his office or the board on serious issues, Kachikwu urged the President to save his office from further humiliation and disrespect, adding that when he calls for meetings, Baru chooses which to attend and the ones to send subordinates without the courtesy of calling him, his supervisory minister.
The letter dated 30th August, 2017 was titled: ‘Matters of Insubordination and Lack of Adherrence to Due Process Perpetrated by the GMD NNPC – Dr Baru’, and was marked HMS/MPR/001/VOL1/100.
It reads in part, “Like the previous reorganisations and repostings done since Mr Baru resumed as GMD, I was never given the opportunity before the announcements to discuss these appointments. This is so despite being the minister of state petroleum and chairman, NNPC board.
“The board of NNPC which you appointed and which has met every month since its inauguration, and which by the 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.
“Indeed, in anticipation of vacancies that would arise from retiring senior executives of NNPC, I wrote the GMD a letter requesting that we both have prior review of the proposed appointments. Not only did he not give my letter the courtesy of a reply, he proceeded to announce the appointments without consultation on board concurrence.
“Mr President, please note that there is a board service committee whose function is to review potential appointment and termination of senior staff prior to implementation. This committee was also not consulted.
“The open administration I introduced with your support in our year of pushing reforms, has been completely eroded. NNPC staff are afraid of contacting me for the fear of being punished, sidelined in appointments and targeted.
“The effect of the attitude of the GMD and the sidelining of the board is that there is a fear culture in NNPC.”
Sources knowledgeable about the development confirmed the authenticity of the letter to our correspondent, even though Presidency officials and the minister could not be reached for comments.
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