Abati, on Monday, joined the rank of Nigerians dismissing the demand by a fragment of the House of Representatives for sack the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Versatile journalist and former Senior Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Monday, joined the rank of Nigerians dismissing the demand by a fragment of the House of Representatives for sack the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari.
Some members of the House of Representatives led by Billy Famous Osaware (Edo State), had earlier faulted the call by one of their colleagues for the removal of the NNPC chief executive.
In tow, Abati, the lead anchor in the popular Arise TV breakfast talk show, Morning Show, described the call as “unfair, wrong, and unreasonable, nothing that it is wrong for the legislators to ascribe the problem of the Nigerian Oil & Gas industry to just one man.
He argued that the NNPC CEO is not the root cause of the problems plaguing the petroleum industry, explaining that the sector is plagued by deeper structural issues that have been ignored for decades.
“The problem with the oil and gas industry in Nigeria is not Mele Kyari. The problem is the way we have run our affairs as a country. Leadership is what is required to address these issues, not crucifying an individual.”
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While pointing out that the industry’s challenges have been evident since the 70s, yet successive governments have failed to tackle them, he lauded Kyari for making efforts to solve the problems, stressing that he should be given the chance to operate.
Speaking further, Abati criticized the sponsored advertisements by a fragment of House of Representatives members, clamoring for Kyari’s sack.
“I think the bigger story is that we have seen some people in the media saying Kyari is the problem with the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry.
“We have seen people put up an advertisement for and against the sack of Mele Kyari. No, Mele Kyari is not the problem.
“There are fundamental issues with the Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria, which have been there since the 70s and no government has been able to address them.
“So, it is not about crucifying an individual. What Kyari, in my own understanding, is trying to do is to make an effort to solve the problem. But to assume that one man is the cause of the problem will be very unfair, wrong and unreasonable way to go.
“So, the members of the National Assembly who are saying they want to take Kyari’s head, no, they have their own heads in the wrong place. He is not the cause of the problem.
Abati, however, emphasized that the focus should be on addressing the systemic issues rather than blaming individuals, saying “Nigeria, and the way we have run our affairs so far, is the problem. Leadership is what is required. So, the ball is back in the court of the leaders.”
Experts in the sector say that since the Petroleum Industry Act came into force leading to the creation of the NNPCL about two years ago, the company has grown in leaps and bounds.
“NNPCL, as presently structured, has broken new grounds in the two years it has been in existence as the management of the company under the leadership of Mele Kyari has steered the company away from the unprofitable ways of doing business to a more transparent and financial prudent means of administering the entity in line with global best practices”, said an industry analyst who asked not to be mentioned.
He stated that in addition to a plethora of successes actors it’s business value chain, NNPCL has received flowers for its success and renewed vigour in the execution of the gas commercialization programme aimed at leveraging the nation’s enormous gas resources to promote industrialization and boost revenues.
Another key stride recorded by NNPCL since 2021 has been the reversal of losses the company had been suffering. In 2022 it posted its second consecutive year of ‘profit’ announcing N674.1 billion in the 2021 financial period and growing it from N287 billion in 2020. The figure represented an increase of N387 billion or 134.8 per cent when compared to the previous N287 billion recorded in 2020.
The improvement followed the approval of the 2021 audited financial statements by the Board of the oil company. The NNPCL has progressed to a new performance level from N287bn profit in 2020 to N674bn profit after tax in 2021, moving higher by 134.8% year on year profit growth.