More Groups Sign Up to Join Kyari-must-go Protest

There seems to be no let off for the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, as more groups have signed up to join the two-million-man protest against his continued occupation of the exalted office.

This is coming at a time when some notable Niger Delta activists have issued 72 hours ultimatum for the sack of Kyari as the GCEO of the nation’s apex oil regulatory body, failure of which would compel them to occupy the streets of Abuja and Port Harcourt.

In a press statement Thursday by Jack Dickson and Mr. Kingsley Idono, President and Secretary, respectively, on behalf of the Niger Delta Activists for Renewed Hope (NDARH), the group lamented the non functioning of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries, despite the trillions of naira injected for their rehabilitation under Kyari.

“The man Mele Kyari, with careful examination, should be the richest Nigerian and second most powerful man in Nigeria, aside the president. What was his worth before he became the GCEO?

“Even when he was just the GMD of NNPC, he was not this powerful, as his fate was dangling with the then President Muhammadu Buhari. But the moment the Petroleum Investment Bill became an Act, Kyari became a demigod. He became so powerful that he believes no one could remove him – not even the president.

“That’s why he continues to propound and promote all the obnoxious and anti people policies and actions that have kept Nigerians in perpetual hardship and anguish, and advertently frustrating the good intentions of the Minister of Petroleum, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his Renewed Hope Agenda for the masses as promised.

“Despite trillions of naira the government injected to making sure our refineries were rehabilitated, non is functioning and the man who should bury his head in shame and resign honourably, to give way to someone who would revive the plants from comatose and end incessant queues in our filling stations and crash the pump price to enable Nigerians smile again; has suddenly become more powerful than all Nigerians.

“After shifting the goalposts constantly until the September 30 deadline he gave, Kyari has suddenly gone dumb. He has refused to address Nigerians on why the refineries are still not working, as he promised, despite the billions of dollars he received. 

“We in Niger Delta Activists for Renewed Hope will not keep quiet and allow an individual sabotage the agenda of Mr. President. We know how much we suffered to deliver this government in our region and Port Harcourt and Warri refineries were part of the promises we made to our people. Another election cycle is coming in 2027, we don’t know what to tell the people to win their votes again. That’s why we must all rise up to fight this ineptitude of Mele Kyari,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups against Corruption in Energy Sector, has confirmed that more organizations were indicating interest to join the ongoing protest against the NNPCL boss.

Mr. Efe Irabor, the spokesperson for the Coalition, while disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, said Nigerians were already fed up with Kyari and his men, hence the national consciousness of the people to take their destiny in their own hands.

“We shall continue to mobilize more people until we gather 10 million Nigerians to protest on the streets of Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna. We have plenty comrades coming to sign up on behalf of their organizations and we are happy that everyone is beginning to see reason with us that Kyari must go. If the president likes it, let him keep him, until his government becomes very unpopular and the international community starts sanctioning the Nigerian government for being responsible for whatever will become of all of us at the long run,” Irabor said.

The coalition had mobilized other civil society groups and shut down the National Assembly complex on Tuesday with the Kyari-Must-Go protest.

The two-million anti-Kyari protesters are demanding the immediate resignation of the NNPCL boss, Kyari or his sack by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tinubu, who also doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources.