The New Super Brat Called Maikanti Baru
The Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, is a clear example of our skewed system that throws up brats as public servants. Our famed anti-corruption Czar, Muhammadu Buhari is responsible for the largest number of such brats in the 57-year history of this country. Buhari has given Nigeria the likes of Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami; Women affairs Minister, Aisha Alhassan; Customs boss, Hammed Ali; EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu; Army Chief, Tukur Buratai; suspended NHIS boss, Usman Yusuf and the famed grass cutter, Babachir Lawal. These little monsters, who have no regard for due process and the rule of law, now dominate ministries, departments and agencies at all levels. They are encouraged to act recklessly by their godfather. These features of brats were evident in Baru’s response to the grave allegations against him by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
After Kachikwu’s memo accusing Baru of not adhering to due process in the award of contracts by the corporation and acts of insubordination, the NNPC GMD brazenly described the NNPC Board as inconsequential. For Baru, the corporation’s board chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum is redundant because “it has no powers to regulate or approve contracts awarded by the corporation.” Baru’s response was shamelessly silent on other pertinent issues raised by Kachikwu, mainly the appointment of senior executives of NNPC without the knowledge of the Board. Baru followed up on Tuesday by alleging that Kachikwu’s memo was aimed at inciting Nigerians against him.
The NNPC GMD has simply elected what laws to obey and what laws to flout. We need to remind this little monster called Baru that the 1977 Act establishing the NNPC and the Companies and Allied Matters Act both provided for a Board for establishments of this nature and the Board must have a say and must approve vital decisions taken by the management of the corporation. The Nigeria National Petroleum 1977 Act, CAP N123, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, Section 1 (2) deals with the control of the NNPC and provides that its affairs shall be conducted by a Board of Directors. According to the Act, “the affairs of the Corporation shall, subject to Part II of this Act, be conducted by a Board of Directors of the Corporation.” This means that contracts can only be referred to the President through the Board. Unfortunately, President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have been granting approvals for NNPC contracts and JVC funding without the Board’s endorsement. This is corruption.
Power-drunk Baru, who is evidently being protected by powerful forces in the Presidency, is averse to any Board providing oversight functions to the management of NNPC. He reports to these powerful forces in the Presidency. This is why Kachikwu and his NNPC Board are not privy to the decisions taken by NNPC. Baru simply walks straight to the President. We can all now see that Baru’s shenanigan is state-sanctioned. This man has access to higher authorities and has sheepishly decided to ignore a Board that is obviously too weak to assert itself. Genuine patriots must rise and help Kachikwu fight this incongruity in the NNPC. This is a fight against impunity. Regrettably, virtually all our human rights activists have gone voiceless amid unprecedented impunity in our dear country in the last 29 months. Most of them are now government contractors and pro-government activists. The lawyers among these activists are busy running after briefs from the EFCC. We must rise in this season of anomy and tackle this impunity.
The skewed Board of the NNPC also weakened Kachikwu. The Board is slanted in favour of the cabal running Nigeria. The composition of the Board is also contrary to the Federal Character law. Just glance through the list and you will weep for mother Nigeria. Buhari, who has sworn to defend the Nigerian constitution, approved the following men as NNPC Board members: Tajuddeen Umar (North-east), Maikanti Baru (North-east), Abba Kyari (North-east), Mahmoud Isa-Dutse (North-central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North-west), Mallam Yusuf Lawal (Northwest), Ibe Kachikwu (South-south), Thomas John (South-south), and Pius Akinyelure (South-west). This is clearly a crooked Board.
Allegations of insubordination and illegal contract award aside, for me, the biggest challenge facing Baru, which our anti-graft agency should focus on, is the alleged nonremittance of over N6 trillion revenues by Duke Oil, a subsidiary of NNPC. I am happy that our lawmakers are digging into this. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating revenue leakages in NNPC’s affiliates, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe said the probe would span January 2016 to 2017 and predicated on the apparent inability of DPR to enforce compliance of remittances into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. It is scandalous that this Nigerian company is registered in Panama while its head office is in the United Kingdom but does business in Nigeria. There are speculations that Duke Oil has never produced audited accounts since inception. Duke Oil has clearly been lifting Nigeria’s crude oil in a manner that is not transparent.