The Mayor of Urhoboland and notable ex-militant leader, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, has described the recent call by one of the defeated candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the House of Representatives at the February 2023 National Assembly election in Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka, for the sack of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari as mischievous and uncharitable thing to say.
Mayor Akpodoro stated this in Abuja over on Friday at the heels of a stakeholders meeting where issues of national importance were brought to the fore, noting that the the call for Kyari’s sack by the Spokesperson to the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayode, reeks racality and overdrive in what he described as a major gaffe unbecoming of someone who aspires to grow in politics.
According to the Mayor, Engr. Kyari is not the problem of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, but that of system failure which triggered the temporary fuel scarcity but for want of clout chasing and cheap publicity the PDP goons are happy as usual due to “their traditional lack of patriotism.”
He noted that while Nigerians agonise as a result of the hardship occasioned by the shortfall in the supply chains of petroleum products in the country the PDP as usual rolled out their drums in jubilation, mocking the suffering Nigerian people in the reckless outburst of the members and leaders of the umbrella party, one of who is Olayinka.
Akpodoro stated that Olayinka is always in the habit of misfiring and creating enemies where none exists saying such was his habbit when former Governor Fayose was in power warning against doing harm to his personal integrity.
Calling out Kyari for sack by his appointing authority was a sinister move made with the ulterior motive of blackmailing senior officials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu out of the way to render his administration vulnerable for the same PDP to mock his administration.
Kyari he noted has been able to build peace in the Niger Delta region where oil exploration is domicile as against incessant restiveness of the youths of the region in the past under the PDP administrations when top functionaries of the FG were accused of being neck-deep in criminal activities including oil theft.
As it is today, the former warrior noted that the activities of oil thieves have been whittled down as Kyari’s management has been able to tie the noose around those who wheel and deal dangerously in illicit oil trade including petroleum marketers who hoard petroleum products to create artificial scarcity.
He noted that most fuel stations in the country belong to leaders and members of Olayinka’s PDP who are wont to hoard products to create avenues to mock the people and government saying Olayinka’s outburst was ill motivated.
Kyari he said is an appointee of the federal government and only the president can evaluate his performance in the office which in this case is satisfactory to both the reformative administration and the citzenry adding that Olayinka is only playing to the gallery and didn’t make the call in the national interest
He stressed that the PDP administrations bequeathed fuel scarcity and ‘black market’ trade in the products market on the nation and this he said the current administration is assiduously working hard to fix.
His Excellency urged the President to discountenance calls for the sack of Kyari saying such calls emanate from malicious minds who are mostly embittered by the success and achievements of the current administration and those behind it.
“When Nigerians were sleeping at fuel stations for days under PDP administrations why didn’t Olayinka call for the sack of the top managers of the NNPCL then. A time was when the presidency was accused of aiding and abetting oil theft in this country, where were the saints of today then?” Mayor Akpodoro queried.
