Don’t Be Used To Destroy Reputation Of Good Leaders, Shehu Sani Warns Anti-Kyari Protesters
… Demonstrators Sponsored By Disgruntled Oil Cabals Affected By Kyari’s Reforms—Group
A former senator representing the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Comrade Shehu Sani, has warned Nigerians against being used by people with vested interests to destroy the reputation of leaders who have distinguished themselves during the period of their stewardship in public service.
The former lawmaker said this in reaction to a protest held by some groups in Abuja demanding the probe of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari.
Sani, who condemned the action of the protesters, stated that it was quite obvious that they were on a mission that was sponsored by some disgruntled cabals in the oil sector whose vested interests were affected by the reforms implemented by Kyari at the NNPC Ltd.
According to him, most of the young people who joined the protest did not know what they were agitating for.
Sani, in a reaction to the protest via his social media handle, said that Kyari has distinguished himself not only as a dynamic business administrator, innovative manager, technocrat, and transparent and accountability advocate but also as shown great dexterity in his leadership style.
He wrote, “I came across some protesters at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, raising placards against the ex-NNPCL CEO Kyari. Most of the young guys there don’t actually know what they were protesting about. They just joined.
“It’s clearly a sponsored project by some displeased or disgruntled oil interests against Kyari.”
He, however, warned against protesters being used to destroy the reputation of good leaders who put in their best while holding public office.
This is just as the Nigeria Accountability Promoters (NAP) also said the protesters that were calling for the probe of Kyari are being sponsored by disgruntled oil cabals that were affected by some of the reforms which he implemented during his five-year tenure at the national oil company.
NAP, in what it described as a “sponsored, ill-motivated and baseless” protest against Kyari, accused the convener, Kabiru Matazu, of fronting for shadowy political interests.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday and made available to THE WHISTLER by its Chairman, Mallam Abdullahi Sabiu, NAP described the protest as “a travesty against truth and transparency”, warning that such antics were designed to distract Nigerians from Kyari’s widely acknowledged reforms.
“Once again, we are witnessing a disingenuous display of political puppetry—this time starring one Kabiru Matazu, a name fast gaining notoriety for standing on foundations of mischief, not merit.
“His recent charade calling for a probe of Mallam Mele Kyari is not only baseless—it is a pathetic attempt by jobbers to rewrite the legacy of one of the most transparent eras in NNPC’s history,” Abdullahi stated.
He noted that under Kyari’s leadership, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) became a symbol of reform, publishing monthly financial and operational reports and declaring profits for the first time in over four decades—an achievement hailed across the industry.
“Let Nigerians not be deceived. These are verifiable records that even international partners acknowledged. So, the question must be asked: Who is Matazu working for? Who are the sponsors of this theatre of relevance-seeking?” Abdullahi queried.
The group warned that the protest was not borne out of patriotic concern but was rather a desperate attempt to hijack the headlines in service of vested interests rattled by the immediate past NNPC GCEO’s bold reforms.
“This is not activism. It is pure publicity racketeering. Matazu and his sponsors should be placed under surveillance, not celebrated. Nigerians must not allow a coalition of clowns to stain the legacy of a man who dared to open the books of the NNPC at great political risk,” the statement concluded.
Some of the achievements of Kyari include the Open Government Initiative, which ushered in an era of transparency and accountability in the NNPC’s operations.
He also kept his promise to the NNPC and Nigeria by increasing the nation’s oil reserves to 40 billion barrels from 37 billion barrels.
The former NNPC boss also assisted in resolving disputes around the deep offshore bloc to further boost the nation’s oil production and ensured the successful flag-off and release of over $1.1bn for the construction of the $2.8bn Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project.
He facilitated the signing of MoUs among national oil companies from Africa for the implementation of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project.
He also played a key role in the passage and signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 and its eventual signing into law.
Kyari also led NNPC to discover crude oil in Nasarawa and Kolmani in Bauchi State.
He also enabled NNPC Ltd to key into the Federal Government’s tax credit initiative to fund the reconstruction of 21 roads across the country at a total cost of over N621.24bn.
His numerous achievements made
President Bola Tinubu is to hail him as a shining example of his administration’s Renewed Hope agenda during his 60th birthday on January 8.
In a congratulatory message released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu had praised Kyari’s leadership in transforming NNPCL into a profitable organisation, citing notable achievements including the recent resuscitation of two refineries and increased oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day.
The commendation comes days after the restart of operations at the Warri Refinery, which Tinubu described as “a remarkable way to end the year” following earlier successes with the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The Warri facility, which is now operating at 60 per cent capacity, marks a milestone in the administration’s energy efficiency plans.
“Kyari is a shining example and embodiment of the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda. I commend his commitment to creating new opportunities and ensuring the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s energy sector,” Onanuga had quoted Tinubu as hailing the NNPCL GCEO.
Don’t Be Used To Destroy Reputation Of Good Leaders, Shehu Sani Warns Anti-Kyari Protesters is first published on The Whistler Newspaper