Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has applauded President Bola Tinubu’s decision to sack Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), calling it the “smartest move ever” by the president.
In a post on his X account on Wednesday, April 1, Fayose described Kyari’s removal as a “welcome development” and expressed hope that it would bring much-needed reforms to the NNPCL and the country.
“It is hoped that this will bring a better lease of life to the NNPCL in particular and Nigerians in general,” he stated.
Fayose further urged Tinubu to extend the same level of decisiveness to other sectors of government, adding, “This same courage to wield the big stick should also be extended to other system with system so rotten as the NNPCL.”
Kyari’s dismissal came as part of a sweeping overhaul of the NNPCL announced early Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
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Tinubu dissolved the entire board, including Chairman Pius Akinyelure, and appointed a new 11-member leadership team, with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new NNPCL Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman.
The restructuring, carried out under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021), aims to improve efficiency, restore investor confidence, and maximise the value of Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.
The new board has also been directed to conduct a strategic review of NNPCL-operated projects and joint ventures.
Kyari, first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and later retained by Tinubu in 2023, had faced growing criticism over transparency issues in the oil sector, rising fuel prices, and crude oil theft.
His removal signals a major shift in Tinubu’s energy sector reforms.