Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), lacks integrity and should have been fired by President Bola Tinubu, says Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN).
Speaking in a chat with TheScrutiny, Sagay, former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commitee Against Corruption (PACAC) said Kyari has been untruthful with Nigerians over the commencement of crude oil refining at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Kyari had explained that the Port Harcourt refinery will kick off production by early August this year, while that of Kaduna will commence by December 2024.
Kyari who had earlier announced two weeks from March 2024 as the kick-off date for production from the Port Harcourt refinery, maintained that ‘he is not lying’, as he reaffirmed the new August date.
The month of August is coming to an end, yet the refinery is yet to begin operation.
A very upset Sagay said Kyari has proven that he is unreliable and Nigerians can’t believe whatever he says.
“I am extremely upset with Mele Kyari, the MD of NNPC. He has turned out to be a man who has no regard for his own integrity. He is a man who thinks he can fool Nigerians and make all of us look stupid for a long time”.
“This man said the Port Harcourt refinery will be ready in December 2023 but that didn’t happen. He shifted it to January 2024, it was not. He then shifted it to March, it was not. Since then, he has been kicking the can down the road from December 2023 now to August 2024, it is the same story”.
“Honestly, i wonder why that man is still in his position. I wonder why the government has not sacked him”.
“Based on the fact that Mele Kyari is unreliable and Nigerians cannot rely on anything he says, he does not deserve to be the MD of NNPC. There is no excuse why he still remains in that position when he has shamelessly been dribbling Nigerians since December over such a critical factor in our lives, which is petroleum”.
“He has been fooling Nigerians and behaving as if there is no consequences for dishonesty and misconduct of this magnitude. I am extremely upset with him and he should not be there. He lacks integrity and should have been sacked long ago”
The Senate few days ago raised concerns over the $1.5 billion approved in 2021 for the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery, citing little to no results.
