The presidency has dismissed social media reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
OsunDaily News that social media was on Saturday filled with false reports that the President suspended the NNPCL GCEO.
The social media posts went viral following the suspension and subsequent arrest of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Recall that Emefiele, replaced by Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as acting CBN governor, was arrested in Lagos and whisked to Abuja on a private jet by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Presidency sources told The Whistler on Saturday night that the President has not given such a directive for the suspension of Kyari as NNPC Boss.
Multiple sources in the Presidency, however, disclosed that there is no plan to suspend Kyari as the GCEO of the NNPC.
One of the sources said, “We got to know about the purported suspension through social media posts. But I can confirm to you that there is no such directive coming from the President. Nigerians are known to play a lot with trends, and someone may just have sat down somewhere to make such posts.
“There is no iota of truth in that post claiming that the President has suspended the NNPC GCEO. There is nothing to be worried about because the Petroleum Industry Act is clear on how the NNPC GCEO or any member of the NNPC Board could be removed.”
An aide to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) noted that they have not received such a directive from the President.
“Please disregard those reports because they are fake news. We don’t have such directive from the President to suspend Kyari,” the aide said.
