President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, for one hour at the Presidential Villa yesterday.
The meeting was the President’s response to the reported dispute between Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, over the latter’s alleged award of $25 billion contracts without deference to the minister.
Investigation by media sources revealed that President Buhari met with Kachikwu while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had audience with Baru in a different meeting. A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President took time to review all the issues raised in the August 30 memorandum. The points were considered one by one. They met for about an hour with the President listening and taking notes. And the minister, who used the opportunity to restate his high regard for the President, explained how the GMD had been treating him with disdain over what he wrote in his memo.He also said he was not out to sabotage the Federal Government under any guise.” Findings however revealed that the GMD of NNPC met separately with Vice President Osinbajo. The source said: “I am aware the GMD also came to have audience with the Vice President.”
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