BREAKING NEWS: Buhari Continues Northen Agenda, Sacks Ibe Kachichukwu

Prsident Buhari (right), Relieved Kchichikwu(left) of his post as the NNPC GMD.

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari today sacked the current group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC. In a statement through the presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, the president has replaced Kachikwu with Maikanti Baru and constituted a new Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as provided for under Section 1(2) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act of 1997, as amended with Kachickwu demoted to Chair the board.



A statement by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina showed that Kachikwu remains minister of state for petroleum and will serve as chairman of the NNPC board.

The new board is composed of the following:
A. Chairman-Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum;
B. Group Managing Director- Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru;
C. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance; and
D. The following six persons:
1. Mallam Abba Kyari
2. Dr Thomas M.A John
3. Dr Pius O. Akinyelure
4. Dr Tajuddeen Umar
5. Mallam Mohammed Lawal, and
6. Mallam Yusuf Lawal.

President Buhari urges the new board to ensure the successful delivery of the mandate of the NNPC, ” and serve the nation by upholding the public trust placed on them in managing this critical national asset.”


It will be recalled that since Buhari became the president, all his appointments has been heavily skewed to one side with the Muslim dominant Northern part of the country on the advantaged end while the Christian dominated south where Mr Kachickwu hails from, have it all to loose.

Though Mr Kachikwu was appointed by the past government led by president Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari had retained him in that position with him also doubling as the minister of state for petroleum while the president is the minister of petroleum.

Following this sack, Mr Kchickwu's position in the oil sector has become more peripheral with the North hijacking the key posts in the oil sector. Let us also not forget that its just over two weeks ago that Mr Kachikwu initiated a negotiation between the Federal Government and the militant groups in the country's oil rich Niger Delta who had vowed to reduce the country's oil production to zero level.

While Kachikwu's sack by Buhari might not be a problem to many, it is the person who replaced him that will surely raise a lot of eye brows.  The skewed type of appointments by Buhari clearly support the claims by many groups and individuals of  Buhari having a Northern agenda with some even saying Mr president has an islamic agenda.

It remains to be seen though, if  Mr Kachickwu's sack is a consequence or a coincidence. While it is petinent that Mr president starts giving Nigerians reasons to keep their patience with him in the face of a record high economic hardship in the country, it is also important that the southerners open their eyes to see the obvious as even the committee above doesnt do much to help the situation.

New NNPC GMD Maikanti Baru