By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
A group, Network for Election Education, Sensitization and Awareness has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali over recent attacks on Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Group Chief Executive, Mele Kyari.
According to the group, as a stakeholder in the oil and gas industry, it is regrettable to hear how the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali descended so low to attack the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. without a scientific evidence to buttress his claims.
Addressing journalists at his Kaduna office on Wednesday September 28, Engineer (Dr.) Kailani Muhammad said after a careful scrutiny of Ali’s allegations against the NNPC Ltd and its Group Chief Executive, Mele Kyari, it became vividly clear that the issues raised were unscientific and devoid of any facts.
He explained, “The accusations he leveled merely suggested how desperate he is at covering his failings as Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service due to his inability to tame the wide allegations of corruption in the service, as well as his poor handling of the nation’s borders.
“The Customs Service under him is regrettably in its worst period, unable to root out the corrupt practices and to manage the nation’s borders very well.
“At a point in time, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Fadahunsi, and the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Customs, had to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to relieve Hameed Ali of his position in order to save the organization from further drift.”
He However, said that, “While the Customs Service continues to drift under Hameed Ali’s watch who apparently uses “military approach” to the organization that requires professional handling, Kyari has positive things to offer to the country, hence the best option is to ease Hameed Ali out and have a professional that can manage the organization very well as a round peg in a round hole.”
While noting that the NNPC is now a private venture, operating as a business body in line with the best global practices, he said Mele Kyari who has been driving the organization with efficiency, passion and determination to turn it around as one of the best petroleum companies in the world, is still holding forte, a development that is giving hope to every stakeholder in the industry and at the international level.
He posited that the Kyari administration has propelled NNPC to greater heights and the organization is being run as a successful profit venture.
Kailani further disclosed that at the recent United Nations General Assembly 77 UNGA77, Kyari attracted International community who are willing to invest in the Nigeria’s gas project.
“The issue of zero carbon emission, the need for huge foreign investment in the development of gas as a transition fuel, the persistent oil theft in the Niger Delta region and how government laid out security architecture to reduce the menace associated with the oil production as well as the laying of gas pipelines in the African corridor were the dominant issues in his address at UNGA77.
“Most importantly, Kyari will continue with the advocacy in Africa as he is billed to attend Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, South Africa where issues of sustainable growth in a low carbon world would dominate discussions.”
Similarly, the group which was apparently worried about the dwindling fortunes of Naira, has equally asked President Muhammadu Buhari to fire the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emeifele.
According to the group, Emefiele has failed to demonstrate competence to save the nation’s currency from further devaluation, making life so difficult to the common man.
It insisted that President Buhari should show him the way out for his ineptitude, inefficiency and ineffective handling of the apex bank.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on state of the nation ahead of the 2023 general elections, the National Chairman of Network for Election Education, Sensitization and Awareness Engineer(Dr.) Kailani Muhammad said the management of the currency under the watch of Godwin Emiefele, is to say the least disgusting.
Kailani who, expressed anger over the inability of the CBN Governor to find solutions to the problem , said the situation is becoming unbearable to the common man
For him, it is unacceptable that the official exchange rate of Naira to a dollar now at above N400, while in the parallel market it reached up to N700 and heading towards N1,000 so rapidly
He however, commended the Senate for taking measure to address the problem .His words: “It is a welcome development that the Senate has moved positively to whittle down the powers of the CBN Governor by revisiting the law that established the Apex Bank.
“Now that the Senate has taken up the issue appropriately by moving to amend the law establishing the apex bank, Emeifele should either shape up or ship out honourably.”
“He has apparently failed to rise to the challenges of his office. Rather than focus on making the nation’s currency strong in the global economy, he regrettably, at a time became so partisan politically by wanting to become the next president and was very unmindful of his responsibility as the head of the nation’s apex bank.”
