Chief Akinyelure, Photo credit, Valuechain

By Kunle Ojeleye 

I read many posts and comments on this app, and just waka pass. However, I have been amused by various comments following the press release on the re-constitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) board.

What I found amusing was the many negative references to the former Chairman of the Board, Chief Pius O Akinyelure (POA).

Many referred to him as a stranger to the Oil and Gas (O&G) sector, and I could not avoid bursting out in laughter to the curiosity of those around me.

How can a man:

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 30 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘹𝘹𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭,

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘹𝘹𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥,

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘌𝘹𝘹𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 20 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰,

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘣𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘹𝘹𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭,

Be called a stranger in the O&G sector?

At over 80 years of age, you can accuse Chief POA as old. You cannot label him a stranger to the Oil and Gas sector.

On the issue of incompetence now ascribed to all those relieved of their NNPC board positions, I cannot comment since I am not privy to the tasks and performance index set for them when President Tinubu appointed them about 16 months ago.

I do not know Mele Kyari or any other board members who were relieved of their appointments by President Tinubu. I cannot comment on the various allegations made against Mele or the board members in the media.

Nevertheless, I have always argued that the systemic design of our political system has tended to restrict if not completely disempower, the intellect and competence of many individuals who found themselves in the saddle of steering the nation in the right direction.

My summation is that the same systemic decapitation of individuals in our political space has affected not just the NNPC but practically all our institutions, including even the academic environment.

The NNPC had never been bereft of capable hands.

Are Engineer Kupolokun and others who have been at the organisation’s helm not competent?

To what extent could they make the NNPC an outstanding and performing organisation within a system designed to serve sectional interests rather than the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians at large?

I do not doubt the competence of the new board of NNPC. Still, I am afraid that unless they find a way to dismantle the current structure, all their individual and combined talents will amount to nothing in providing Nigeria with a truly nationalistic corporation, as everyone is clamouring for.

Time will tell.

*Dr Kunle Ojeleye is an academic and public affairs analyst