A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana
(SAN), has described the reorganisation of
the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation by the Minister of State for
Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe
Kachukwu, as illegal.
According to him, having realised the
illegality of the reforms, the minister, who is
also the group managing director of the
NNPC, has said that he has not unbundled
the corporation but is merely reorganising
it.
Falana said in a statement on Thursday, “It
is pertinent to point out that the reforms
being carried out by the NNPC GMD are
illegal in every material particular. Section 2
of the Nigerian National Petroleum Act
stipulates that the affairs of the corporation
shall be conducted by the Board of
Directors of the body. To that extent, it is
the board of the corporation that is saddled
with the responsibility to carry out the
reorganisation of the body.
“The board of the NNPC shall consist of the
Minister of Petroleum Resources;
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Finance; the managing director of the
corporation and three other persons
appointed by the President. The minister
shall be the chair of the board. By virtue of
Section 3 of the Act, the managing director
of the NNPC shall be the chief executive and
shall be responsible for the execution of the
policy of the corporation and the day-to -
day running of its activities.”
According to him, since the board has not
been reconstituted by President
Muhammadu Buhari, the minister has
usurped its functions and has been running
the affairs of the NNPC like a sole
administrator, adding that the combination
of the posts of GMD of the NNPC and
minister of state had compounded the
illegality.
Falana stated, “It is an anomalous situation
whereby the minister, as the chairman of
the NNPC board, is supervising his own
activities as the GMD of the NNPC. Whereas
the GMD is required to carry out the
decisions of the board chaired by the
minister, Dr. Kachukwu has become the
executor and regulator of the affairs of the
corporation. The Federal Government
should take advantage of this crisis to put
an end to the incongruity.
https://www.today.ng/news/national/91572/nnpc-restructuring-is-illegal-falana

All this people now will start showing how much they know the law but contribute nothing to implementing it. NNPC has to be reorganised for efficency and profitability. They should stop all this nonsense.

#ISTANDWITHBUHARIONTHIS