Stakeholders from the Niger Delta region, under the aegis of the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) have called on President Bola Tinubu to use the retirement age of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari to rejig the oil and gas sector and appoint a new substantive head of the NNPCL.

According to the MSDND, millions of suffering Nigerians are not felicitating with Kyari on his 60th birthday, insisting that his leadership as the NNPCL’s Boss has brought tremendous hardship on the country.

They maintained that there is an urgent need for Kyari to step down as GMD of Nigeria’s NNPCL in accordance with the public service rules and not to allow the institution defy tradition by arguing that the oil giant’s new status as a limited liability company frees him from such constraint.

The NNPCL Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Umar Ajiya, who turns 60 in March has already retired, therefore Mele Kyari should not be allowed to remain in office either.

The Publicity Secretary of MSDND, Comrade Kelvin Orughoe, stated that the NNPCL is in dire need of rejuvenation and restructuring to allow practical development take place in the oil and gas sector to flourish.

“I call on President Tinubu, that in the interest of the country and for the good of his administration, to change the leadership of the NNPCL due to its years of deceit, failures and incompetence.”

Orughoe emphasized that it will be a great disservice to over 200 million Nigerians should President Tinubu fall for the antics of Kyari’s desperation for tenure elongation.

“The NNPCL’s leadership failures are too numerous to count. Where do we start, is it from the failures of the $1.5 billion USD Port Harcourt Refinery Rehabilitation scandal.

“To the $898 million USD Warri Refinery Rehabilitation scandal, or the $741 million USD Kaduna Refinery Rehabilitation scandal, or is it their failures over the years to meet Nigeria’s OPEC quota.

“These NNPCL officials have been telling Nigerians the same stories for years.

“It is time for President Tinubu to try new hands and new brains to reduce the sufferings to Nigerians as a result of the NNPCL’s leadership failures.” the group stated.