The Presidency has declared that the newly constituted board
of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is not lopsided in favour
of the North just as it advised anyone not satisfied with the appointment of
Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum, as the board chairman to
challenge it in court.
The NNPC Act provides that the post of the corporation’s
chairman be occupied by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, who in this case
is President Muhammadu Buhari. Kachikwu is the minister of state in the
ministry. There have been criticisms that Kachikwu is merely holding the fort
for Buhari on the board because, according to the critics, the law does not
support his appointment.
But reacting to the criticisms trailing the arrangement, the
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,
told Saturday Tribune that Kachikwu was sworn in as a minister of the Federal
Republic and a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
When asked why he was the one to hold the post which the law
expressly gave to the substantive minister, Shehu queried: “And the minister of
state is not a minister?” He further stated: “Well, the president calls them
ministers and he appointed them ministers. They took their oath of office as
ministers and members of the Federal Executive Council as far as we can see.
“If anybody has a problem with that, let them go to court. “Whatever
it is. As far as the federal cabinet is concerned, Kachikwu doesn’t sit on the
back row. “You yourself have entered the Council chamber, you know how all of
them are. They are all considered members of the FEC. They are all members of
the FEC.
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