The Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Transparency in Governance spearheaded by the Empowerment for Unemployment Youth Initiative (EUYI) has expressed solidarity with Mallam Mele Kyari, the immediate past chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPLC).
Since he was removed from office as part of a leadership change in NNPCL to reposition the oil company for greater productivity, according to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some Nigerians have criticised Kyari’s stewardship and called for a probe into his tenure.
But while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the convener of EUYI, Ambassador Solomon Adodo, on behalf of other members of the Coalition, described the attacks on Kyari as “a sponsored campaign of calumny taken to a ridiculous, nauseating and opprobrious levels.”
Adodo recalled that on April 25, 2025, the coalition addressed the media to expose the heavily financed campaign of calumny against Kyari, adding that, “We specifically challenged those involved to a public debate to prove the altruism of their campaign. Not only did they decline but they also retracted their claims and apologised to Kyari.”
Adodo alleged that the leader of a particular group (name withheld) was hired for the hatchet job, admitting that they were misled by a serving member of the House of Representatives.
“This is a proof that we have been right all along. Indeed we have been vindicated.
“Let us reiterate that, though we salute the courage of the comrade in towing capacity, the path of honour by exposing the entire campaign as a merchandise in falsehood, we call on civil society organisations to always remain truthful to their visions and missions as watchdogs of the society,” he said.
According to Adodo the confusion in the camp of the hired group, whose existence is questionable, and the denouncing of the comrade and the change of legal representation is yet another indication that the whole set up was hastily put forward to discredit a man who has meritoriously served his country with distinction and honour without any criminal record.
The coalition reiterated its commitment to a fair investigation into the activities of Kyari without the unnecessary whipping of public sentiments and the media trials that have been staged against his tenure in recent weeks.
