…..Says He Is Out To Blackmail Minister Over Oil Blocks

By Francis Sadhere

AN oil monitoring group, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement For Radical Change (NDIMRC) has lambasted the former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu over his attacks on the Petroleum Resources Minister, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as a result of the fuel crisis in the country, alleging that he was out to blackmail the Minister over oil blocks.

Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Ibe Kachikwu.

The former Lagos State Governor, had condemned the recent statement credited to the Minister to the effect that he cannot perform magic for the fuel scarcity to go away soon.

But the oil monitoring group in a statement signed by its President, Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Stanley Mukoro, rained heavy knocks on Senator Tinubu, accusing him as one of those working against the reorganisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

The group also accused the former Lagos Governor of being part of the Cabal working against the stoppage of fuel Importation into the country.

The group, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of Senator Tinubu held that; “The President, an agent of Change must be wary of the former Lagos State Governor who is angry with the President because according to him, he has not recovered the money he invested in the election of the President. Senator Tinubu approached the Petroleum Resources Minister for oil blocks, but the refusal of the Minister is what is making the former Lagos State Governor to be behaving like wounded lion. This was how Senator Tinubu put previous government under pressure to acquire shares of former Agip partners, Coloko Philips, using Oando with which he got his oil blocks and this is same method he is trying to adopt and because the Petroleum Resources Minister is not playing ball with him, he decided to go dirty.”

Describing Senator Tinubu as a militant yet to accept amnesty, the group said; “President should investigate the wealth of the former Governor and Senator Tinubu should know that Lagos State is not his father’s property. He should visit the United States of America if he is so sure of himself. The earlier the President put Senator Tinubu where he rightly belongs, the better because he is out to destroy this Government as he has alot of faceless groups he is sponsoring to fight the Government of the day.”

According to the group; “We want to say that we are highly disappointed in Senator Tinubu over his verbal attacks on the hard working Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Kachikwu. We would not have joined issues with him, but we are compelled to do so and to tell the whole world that the former Governor contributed greatly to the mess our country is passing through at the moment.”

“We want Senator Tinubu to close his mouth if he has nothing good to say about the Petroleum Resources Minister who is working very hard to repair the damages done to the oil and gas industry by Senator Tinubu and his likes. The former Governor has no moral right to speak against the Minister the way he just did. Senator Tinubu should hide his head in shame because of the damages he has done to the country. The former Governor should apologise to Nigerians for the role he played in the destruction of the oil and gas industry in the country. Senator Tinubu is a drowning man and he is out to protect his interest in the oil and gas industry. He is not happy with the reform being carried out in the industry by the tested trusted Minister of Petroleum Resources”, the group wrote.

It added that,” Senator Tinubu is afraid that the restructuring of NNPC and efforts of the Minister to make fuel available to Nigerians are going to affect his business empire. He is out to protect his vested interests. He is not patriotic, otherwise he would have appreciated the Petroleum Resources Minister for what he is doing to get the oil and gas industry out of the woods.”

According to the group also; “The game plan of the former Governor is to send a wrong signal to President Buhari about the Petroleum Resources Minister in order for the President to have a rethink about the appointment of the Minister, but he should be rest assured that his unholy plan against the Minister will not see the light of day.”

“The Minister is out to clean the mess in the oil and gas industry and Senator Tinubu knows that it is not going to be business as usual, hence he is out to fight the dynamic Petroleum Resources Minister, but good must prevail evil and darkness must give way to light. The appointment of Dr Kachikwu by our visionary President is divine and his mission in the administration of President Buhari must be achieved and even Senator Tinubu cannot stop this. He is only wasting his time and energy. He should know that he cannot hold the nation to ransom as he has done before as his empire has crumbled and the oil and gas industry must move forward no matter the plans of Senator Tinubu against the Petroleum Resources Minister,” the group stated.

It said also; “And the former Lagos Governor must be told that enough is enough and he should keep his opinion to himself. Senator Tinubu should remember that he does not own the country and he should stop speaking out of frustration”.