….Lauds FG, NNPC Leadership
Yemisi Izuora
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN says it is in total support of the ongoing Oil and Gas Industry reforms embarked upon by the present administration, and assured of its members commitment towards maintaining current stability in Products supply and distribution across the country.
In a statement, IPMAN secretary general Danladi Garba Pasali, while congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary, said the Association believed in the leadership qualities of the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
“As major stakeholders in the downstream oil and gas sector, we acknowledge the successes achieved since the assumption of the current Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru and his team.
The Baru-led administration has been carrying out outstanding reforms which sanitize the downstream oil sector. To this end, IPMAN as major stakeholders with highest distribution outlets across the country hereby reiterate our supports to the GMD and his team especially, the current Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Marketing Company, Alhaji Umoru Aliyu Ajiya for the good work they have been doing”, Pasali said in the statement.
Commenting on the recent leak of minister of state for petroleum resources, Ibe Kachikwus memo to the president, Pasali said the move was an attempt to divert attention on the achievements so far recorded in the sector.
According to the statement, IPMAN consider the said letter as another attempt to divert the attention on the successes achieved and an invitation of chaos to the already sanitized sector.
In the said letter the minister accused the NNPC management of insubordination, which we considered this statement as very ridiculous. As his position as chairman of NNPC board, the minister should have resolve any internal issue at the board meeting, not to resort to media war.
We are not surprise that Dr Baru was accused of insubordination by the minister because if the GMD has allowed himself to become an errand boy to the minister just as some of the past GMDs did, he wouldn’t have been accused of such.
Part of the reforms that Dr Baru’s team are executing which became a nightmare to some stakeholders like the minister and some labour unions, include the efficiency in petroleum products supply, appointing technocrats into right positions and sanitizing the imports of petroleum products which stabilizes the fuel supply in the country within the last two years.
On the strength of its unflinching support, the Association therefore urged the general public to always desist from any unsolicited rumors of fuel scarcity by any person or group of persons particularly the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
IPMAN accused the NUPENG of thriving in the habit of calling for unwarranted strike actions now numbering over twenty for their personal gains and doing so under the guise of trying to achieve a misguided and unsupported public policy.
The Association advised the president to disregard any attempt to scuttle the achievements in the downstream oil sector especially now that some politicians will resort to saboteurs as the election year is approaching.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has said its attention has been drawn to a publication on a memo emanating from the minister to the President.
A statement by Idang Alibi Director of Press Ministry of Petroleum Resources, explained that the communication under reference is a normal procedural correspondence by the Minister to the President relating to developments in parastatals under his supervision.
“It is most distressing to the ministry of petroleum resources that a confidential communication to the President on the performance of one of its parastatals can be made public.
The focus of the communication was on improving efficiency and deepening transparency in the oil and gas sector for continued investor confidence.
It is noteworthy that the President has been fully supportive of the efforts of the Ministry to entrench good governance and accountability in the oil and gas sector.
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources remains focused on achieving measurable progress in the implementation of the ongoing oil sector reforms in line with the mandate of the President”, Alibi added.
