NNPC Denies Funding Buhari’s Re-election Campaigns

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Friday said
its Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, did not make any
cash transfer to the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation in
support of the president’s re-election campaigns.

It noted in a statement in Abuja that the allegations that Baru
made such transfer was a, “politically induced hallucination which
has found accommodation in the subconscious of some mischievous
political actors intent on dragging the corporation and its GMD
into the arena of partisan political tussle.”

NNPC’s denial of funding Buhari’s re-election came at a time the
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, was
conferred with the honorary citizenship of the State of Georgia and
South Carolina in the United States of America, thus making him a
honorary citizen of both states.

In the statement which was signed by its Group General Manager,
Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC said the allegation against
Baru was patently false and ran against the prevailing gale of
transparency and accountability pervading its operations since
Buhari became president.

“With no regard for the cherished investigative reporting ethos
of balance and confirmation of story, the allegation, without
doubt, come across as a kindergarten execution of an ill thought
political brinksmanship,” the corporation said in the
statement.

It thus asked Nigerians to pay no attention to the claims,
adding that its management was focused on delivering Buhari’s
aspiration for the country’s petroleum industry.

Meanwhile, Kachikwu according to a statement from his office,
had at an event organised by the State of Georgia in his honour,
got enlisted as a citizen of the state and that of South
Carolina.

The statement said the event was held at Atlanta Georgia, in the
presence of the top brass of the legislative arm of the state which
included Senator Donzella James, Georgia State Senate; Honorable
Billy Mitchell, Vice President of the National Black Caucus of
State, as well as other legislators of Georgia which included
Honorable Erica Thomas, member Georgia House of Representatives;
Honorable John Richard King, Chair South Carolina Legislative Black
Caucus; and Honorable Dr. Dee Dawkins-Haigler amongst others.

Dawkins-Haigler, who is the Chair Emeritus of Georgia
Legislative Black Caucus, was quoted it have said while speaking at
the conferment of the honorary citizenship on Kachikwu, that the
conferment was in recognition of Kachikwu’s indelible strides and
outstanding achievements in the global oil and gas industry,
especially during his time as President of the Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and also for
institutionalising transparency in Nigeria’s oil sector.

According to the statement, the citizenship conferment by
Georgia was followed by that of South Carolina by Honorable John
Richard King, Chair of South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus who
represented the state.

Both states reportedly presented the symbolic keys to the states
to Kachikwu as a further affirmation of the honorary citizenship to
him.

Kachikwu, the statement added, equally got conferred with an
honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree, Humane Letters, Honoris Causa
by the Trinity International University of Ambassadors, with robing
ceremony and presentation of certificate done by Dr. Jaqueline
Mohair, founder and chancellor of the university.

It explained the minister also chaired the Nigerian Oil and Gas
Core Strategic Investors’ Meeting held in Atlanta, to woo investors
into Nigeria’s oil sector.

It stated that he had the opportunity to pitch the investment
opportunities in key focus areas of the country’s oil sector
including gas flare bid rounds; modular refineries; domestication
of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); and oil and gas infrastructural
revamp in the midstream and downstream, with some of the investors
expressing optimism about investing in Nigeria.