Groups raise alarm over ‘multimillion’ naira smear campaign against NNPC

Two civil society groups, in separate press statements in Kano and Anambra States have on Friday raised alarm over a multimillion naira media budget for smearing the public image of the current management of the NNPC. One of the groups also called on the management of the corporation to be wary of “saboteurs and Judases, who may pretend to support the genuine transparency policy of the corporation while they work underground to scuttle it”.

The Anambra group, Transparency Champions chaired by Kennedy Michael, disclosed that some vested interests “who didn’t like the ongoing reforms in the corporation and feel threatened by the oil subsidy review, have resolved to launch an intensive fight against the current management led by Malam Mele Kyari, using millions of naira”.

The Kano civil society organization, Chaired by Alhaji Baana Kubwa also explained that the financiers of the smear campaign project were apparently unhappy with the anti-corruption and transparency stance of the corporation and “have finally resolved to gang-up for a fight to the finish”.

They went on to say that “the well-oiled image-denting machine against the current management of the NNPC is being funded by some businessmen, working together with fifth columnists inside the corporation”.

The group further explained that the downsizing of the corporation’s “temporary but dormant workers, especially those who failed the promotion examinations and attracted the misplaced anger of their pro-subsidy patrons”.

The group further revealed that the smear campaign would be run in stages, “beginning with attacking management of Portharcourt Refinery, under the watch of a Managing Director – Ahmed Dikko, believed to be a pro-transparency diehard at the NNPC.

“We will not allow old establishments and principalities in and outside the system, to feast on our economy and sensibilities” the Baana group warned.