“The conversation has been largely misunderstood to bother on fraud. It was not on fraud, but on governance and suggestions on ways to go about it. I think a lot of people got it wrong.”
Minister of States For Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu who spoke at a three-days work shop organised by Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Owerri, Imo State emphasized that the content of the leaked letter addressed to President Buhari was not based on reporting fraud but points out the governing strategies at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.
Kachikwu further defends Buhari’s policies against the insubordination tag he held over NNPC Group Managing Director Dr. Maikanti Baru’s name which indicated that the latter awarded billions of contracts without due process which involves the board. Dr. Baru also responded to the accusation by stating that not all contracts pass through the board before they are awarded. Vice President Osinbajo admits to signing some contracts based on only the urgent need of the capital to clear the country’s debt at the time he was Acting President of the federation.
In line with this trend, Kachikwu seems to personally take off the tag he held over Baru by saying his letter was not to accuse Baru of fraud but governance, governance of who?Baru? President Buhari? or both?
He said, “The conversation has been largely misunderstood to bother on fraud. It was not on fraud, but on governance and suggestions on ways to go about it. I think a lot of people got it wrong. People dwell much on issues of sensationalism and leave the main substance. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, and I are working together as Mr. President had directed to move forward. Mr. President has urged the two of us to find ways of working together to remove doubt and rift.” He added, Mr. President is a decent man and what he wants to achieve in this country is to live a legacy for posterity. He is a sincere leader, so nobody should accuse him of engaging in fraud.”
