Mele Kyari Asked To Open Up NNPCL’s Subsidiaries To Take Responsibility On Pricing, Marketing

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari, has been urged to facilitate clearer communication channels between the media and agencies under the NNPCL umbrella.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports that the call was made by some selected media practitioners during a media parley in Effurun near Warri, Delta State, over the weekend.

Media practitioners during the parley

Speaking in turns, the journalists requested that Kyari allow representatives from other companies and agencies under NNPCL to engage directly with the public through the media.

This move, they said is tailored to improve public understanding of the various roles and responsibilities within the petroleum sector.

The media practitioners emphasized that direct engagement would foster accountability, transparency, and collaboration among all stakeholders.

“We urge Mr. Kyari to facilitate direct engagement between the media and NNPCL agencies. Direct engagement will foster accountability, transparency, and collaboration.”, the media practitioners said during the parley.

They however commended NNPCL’s efforts in addressing supply issues and refinery delays.

Solomon Oseagah, one of the media conveners, assured that NNPCL is committed to industry integrity and performance.

He clarified that refinery delays are not due to unpreparedness but rather a desire to ensure maximum capacity before commissioning.

Oseagah, said the ongoing challenges regarding availability of petroleum products and the delays being experienced in nation’s refineries were being tackled headlong by the company.

He emphasised that journalists should do diligent checks and remain objective while reporting activities of the agency.

Specifically, he said that the delays in refinery operations, particularly at the Port Harcourt Refinery, are not due to the unpreparedness of the facilities but the desire of the GCEO to see that everything is set to work to maximum capacity before making it public.

He assured attendees that once these are resolved, President Bola Tinubu will be able to commission the refinery, as its successful startup depends on effective collaboration among various agencies.

Oseagah noted that the Port Harcourt refinery is already producing and will be commissioned before the end of the year.

Responding to questions on the ongoing controversies between NNPCL and Dangote Refinery, Oseagah defended NNPCL’s position, asserting that the corporation’s actions aim to ensure the proper functioning of the Nigerian petroleum industry for the benefit of all Nigerians.

He reiterated that NNPCL is committed to maintaining industry integrity and performance and has no issues whatsoever with Dangote refinery, but it will not be the one to fix the prices for Dangote as the market has been deregulated.