Reactions have been trailing fresh circulation of “July 2017 Memo”, purported to have been written by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Ibe Kackiwu, predicting the likely shortage of PMS popularly known as petrol.
An industry player who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the said “Memo” being circulated by a section of online media as “non-existent and another grand design by the Minister and his cronies to discredit and embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Abbah Kyari.
According to a source “There was no such memo let alone it being suppressed by so-called Aso Rock cabal.
The source said, “Those of us who are familiar with the workings of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are aware that since his removal as the GMD of the NNPC for inefficiency and lack of adherence to due process from multiple fronts, Kachikwu has not hidden his disdain for the Government of President Buhari, under which he currently serves as a junior Minister.
“It is therefore not surprising that at every opportunity, he resorts to campaign of calumny and blackmail against the government and those that are saddled with responsibility of managing the oil and gas industry. These have been his trade mark”.
Apparently disturbed by the circulation of the said memo and realising the implication, Mr Kachikwu, has distanced himself from the publications.
A statement released on Sunday by the spokesperson in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Idang Alibi, reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to a message making the rounds on social media of a purported memo by the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu to the President on the fuel crisis. The message and its content is false.”
However, another oil and gas industry stakeholder simply described the Minister’s reaction as ” weak and belated”
The source stated: “This was the same tactics they employed when he came up with the issue of non-existent $25 billion contracts. He and those he represent, are desperate to bring Buhari’s government down for selfish ends.
“This is very sad and Nigerians must not allow people who have vested interests to rubbish the good work the President has initiated in NNPC through Dr. Baru.
“With the current reforms going on in the NNPC, the Federal Government is beginning to reap the benefits of a productive policy. NNPC is making profits in some of its subsidiaries unlike in the past. We know that this is not going down well with people who are used to the old ways of doing business.
“The President had said that business in NNPC and its subsidiaries will no longer be as usual.Those who are no longer profiteering are desperate and wants to frustrate these reforms by all means necessary. But I can assure you that Dr. Baru and his team will not be deterred or intimidated.”
It will be recalled that few months ago, a memo written by Mr Kachikwu to President Buhari was leaked to the press.
In the memo, the Minister alleged award of contracts totalling $25 billion by the NNPC without following due process.
However, the NNPC in its reaction described the “$25 billion contracts” as non-existent .
