PMS Memo: Kachikwu Accused of Another Design To Rubbish Buhari, Kyari

ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Reactions have continued to teail 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 annonimity, des­cribed the said “mem­o” being circulated by a section of onli­ne media as “non-exi­stent and another gr­and design by the Mi­nister of State 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 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, 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 said: “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 Dr. 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 .