Ewolewoo!!

Emmanuel Ibe kachikwu has just been appointed as an “alternate President of Nigeria”. Yes I really mean alternate President because once you have been appointed as NNPC GMD, you are heading a government of your own. It is simple!! I know a lot would disagree but that is the fact steering us all in our faces as we speak. So I say congratulations Mr Kachikwu, you can go for sweet thanksgiving service this Sunday..

NNPC ,as presently constituted, is the only government agency that is in charge of our crude oil and natural gas sales. It is the only agency that announces what we are producing and then solely determines how much goes into her (NNPC) pocket. NNPC determines what is deducted from the sales and what then goes into the “known” federation account(s) for the federal and state governments to share. It is NNPC (and not CBN!!) that can actually tell you the real amount (at least 90% of it) that is accruable to the government coffers. CBN may not even be aware of some accounts but NNPC is in the know of the important escrow accounts for the crude sales.. If this is not an alternate government, then what is the definition of it?

Mr kachikwu should understand that Nigeria of 2015 is different from Nigeria of 80s,90s or even 2014. Many of us are basically aware of a lot of what he knows. We all have a fair idea of what is going on in NNPC. We all have a pretty good idea of the happenings in the oil and gas sectors. Many of us can decipher facts from fiction. We can tell when oranges are being dangled on us as apples. Specifically, we want him to understand that this is not a tea party. We want service and action. It must be swift and in national interest.

We are watching him closely. Many of us also have a fair idea of his salary and emoluments in Exxon Mobil. We know he doesn’t have any oil block. We know he is not in charge of any company buying assets from any departing IOC. We know his salary in Exxon Mobil couldn’t have made him to buy exquisite palatial mansions in Nigeria and the US. I can go on and on…Ofcourse we all concede that he is very comfortable in his former position. Mr Kachikwu should know that we need him to work for our interest.

He should make the directors of NNPC think less of the additional dollars that would come into their bank accounts and put Nigeria first. He should close all bank accounts that are not known to the CBN. Let the CBN be in total control of all the accounts that involves sales of the crude oil and natural gas. If this can be done: NNPC officials would now be more of regulators than partakers in the oil business of Nigeria.

The way it is, once a new project is proposed by any IOC, and the interests of powerful members of the NNPC cannot be totally guaranteed, the project would be unnecessarily delayed or put in the cooler indefinitely. This attitude kills the system as people are denied of Jobs that would come through. This has made NNPC very incapable, because moni don enter belle, of regulating expat quota thereby making Nigerians jobless in their own country..I can go on and on….

For now, let me allow Mr Kachikwu to enjoy this announcement. However we are watching and we would surely talk in our quiet mode…..Ewolewoo!!!