NNPC under security siege as Kachikwu, Baru feud lingers

In what appears a clear indication that all is not well within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, a heavy security presence was on Friday sighted at its headquarters in Abuja.

The ongoing feud between the State Minister for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, it was learnt may have led to the heavy presence of the security personnel at the NNPC headquarters.
Although officials of the corporation and security agencies tried to wave the development aside as normal, it was obvious there was increased number of security agents at the NNPC Abuja headquarters than usual.

A mere look at the armed security men from the Nigeria Police Force and the Army stationed at the entrance of the oil firm as well as police pickup vans and armoured personnel carriers, which were noticeably stationed on both sides of the roads leading to the NNPC, were enough to tell any casual observer that the authorities were expecting trouble.

It was gathered that following the hostility expressed by many Nigerians over the leaked memo Kachikwu wrote President Muhammadu Buhari accusing Baru of insubordination and awarding of contracts of about $25 billion without due process, that the security department of the NNPC requested for the deployment of the heavy security sighted Friday at the corporation’s headquarters.

Although soldiers have always been stationed at the NNPC since the Boko Haram threats of 2013, it was however gathered that the increased security presence was to forestall plans by some group of people said to be planning to carry out a protest at the NNPC as a result of the allegations leveled against its GMD.

READ ALSO: Embattled Baru prays in Aso Rock with Buhari after Kachikwu’s meeting with president

Recall that some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), as well as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had called for the suspension of the NNPC GMD and have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately investigate the allegation.
Already, the National Assembly had commenced investigation into the matter.

President Buhari on Friday also had a meeting with Kachikwu, apparently to hear him out on the controversies rocking the country’s cash cow.

 

 

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