PDP joins call for suspension of NNPC GMD

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate suspension of the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria Petroleum Corporation Company (NNPC), Mr Maikanti Baru.

This comes amid allegations of corruption running into billions of dollars levelled against him by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

Kachikwu had, in a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, accused Baru of insubordination and practices that could jeopardise government’s policies aimed at repositioning the petroleum industry.

The PDP, in a statement signed on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, expressed shock at the accusations and called for the immediate suspension of the NNPC boss.

They also asked President Buhari to ensure the allegations were “genuinely” investigated “as a show of his impartiality in the war against corruption.”

According to them, the suspension would ensure that proper investigation was carried out by the relevant anti-corruption agencies.

“He (Buhari) should do this to correct the open impression Nigerians have about his so-called anti-corruption war; that it’s just a tool of persecution of perceived enemies.

“We view the allegations levelled against Baru by Kachikwu as too grave to be swept under the carpet and we insist that the NNPC GMD must be treated like an accused who should not have the opportunity to influence the investigation into his alleged misdeeds,” the party said.