The Arewa Youth Integrity Forum, a pan-ethnic group, has accused oil marketers as being behind the recent blackmail of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu and further described them as disgruntled marketers who see themselves as invisible shareholders of PPMC and NNPC and have always believed that no reform can ever go in the oil industry to cripple their selfish interest.
The youth group led by its National President, Alhaji Audu Zakari while speaking with journalists in Abuja said the new reforms being introduced by Kachikwu have crippled the activities of the oil cabals.
“the recent attempt to blackmail the minister by a faceless group known as South-South All Progressive Congress Youths which tried to fruitlessly to link the minister to alleged manipulations in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is a typical demonstration of corruption fighting back” he said.
According to Alhaji Zakari the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu deserves commendation over his handling of the oil sector since assuming office, warning that it is no longer business as usual.
It will be recalled that a group known as South-South All Progressive Congress Youths had recently accused the younger brother of the Minister was interfering with the operations of the NNPC.
Alhaji Zakari also called on the Minister to remain resolute in his drive to ensure the proper functioning of the petroleum sector and ignore the scab also which have held the sector hostage in the past. This is even as the group has also applauded the anti-corruption position of the Buhari administration, which has according to them has began to yield dividends.
“ They are angry that the President has appointed somebody that has refused to share our money for them to sleep at Nicon Hilton Abuja…the same persons yesterday could sit down to allocate to themselves oil lifting licenses and are bitter that the system has changed”. He chided.
He said, “It is obvious that every Nigerian is now happy that for the first time the High Tower is experiencing peaceful and positive changes without the usual hardship that citizens were made to go through in the past as a result of deregulation and would like to commend the team led by Kachikwu. His choice by President Muhammadu Buhari is a clear demonstration of his full understanding of the sector being a former Minister and active player in the industry.