Groups Flay Politically Motivated Criticisms, Attacks On Govt Reforms

Two civil society organisations, First Green White Resources and Strategic Communication Centre for Defence and Security, have expressed concerns over what they call an attempt by some politicians and elites to distract governance through undue criticism of the present administration’s ongoing reforms.

They noted that politically exposed persons want to heat the system unnecessarily to advance personal interests and gain political mileage at the Nigerian people’s detriment.

They condemned the ongoing war against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) management, especially personal attacks on its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari.

At a press briefing over the weekend on the theme “Separating Politics From Governance,” the founder/chief executive officer of First Green White Resources, Mr Bonaventure Melah, said the barrage of attacks on the group chief executive officer, NNPCL, and how the attacks are being celebrated in the media should be a matter of concern to well-meaning citizens.

He said the current CEO assumed office less than four months ago, and even though he has neither awarded contracts nor leased oil blocks, the barrage of attacks against him is of utmost concern.

“President Tinubu, while announcing Bayo Olujiri’s appointment, made it clear that he is to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of the company, inject reform policies necessary for NNPCL to operate with global best practices and therefore profitable to the country and our people. It is unsurprising or expected that some interests would try to resist the change, no matter how necessary. The unthinkable, however, is when the resistance comes within the system, which can be seen as a coup d’état.

“We have also been reliably informed that the attackers’ audacity is being prodded and nudged on by vested interests in Nigeria’s oil money, especially politically exposed persons, some of whom are being investigated for some financial infractions committed in the recent past.”

Melah added that the issue at stake is not only the unwarranted attacks through meaningless and unsubstantiated allegations against the new CEO of NNPCL, but also the potency of these attacks to de-market Nigeria’s oil industry and scare investors away.

“Being the major cash cow of the nation, if the oil industry is being attacked needlessly, as is the case currently through reckless allegations, it should be seen and taken as economic terrorism,” he added.

In his remarks, the director of publicity at the Strategic Communication Centre for Defence and Security, Mr Yashim Luka, noted that politicians have hijacked the nation’s airwaves, including television and radio stations, newspapers, and online and social media platforms.

He said that most of these messages are messages of doom, rather than uplifting people’s morale through messages of hope.

He said, “It is unfortunate, to put it mildly, for someone who has served the nation as governor, senator, minister, whatever, to come to the public and say that Nigeria would collapse soon or that there is no hope for the people, just to undermine the system and heat the system unnecessarily to advance personal interest and, in the process, gain political mileage at the detriment of the Nigerian people.

“For us, the convergence for 2027 is rather too early and therefore becoming a source of serious distraction.”

Luka called on the federal government to take decisive action to stop the media onslaught against a strategic institution like the NNPCL. Any threat to the nation’s oil industry threatens national security since the sector is currently the mainstay of the economy.

“As a way of summary, therefore, we hereby call on politicians to separate politics from governance. There is a time for politics and a time for nation-building.

“The idea of attacking strategic institutions of government as a way of getting to the President by 2027 is a great disservice to the nation and a direct attack on the well-being of our people,” he added.