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Aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has launched a scathing critique of ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai over accusations of an alleged Yorubacentric agenda by President Bola Tinubu.
Omokri dismissed the claims as divisive propaganda aimed at destabilising the country, drawing parallels to similar tactics allegedly used against former President Jonathan.
The author replied to El-Rufai’s comments via his social media handle on alleged issues of nepotism at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) against President Tinubu.
In a detailed rebuttal shared on his X page, Omokri argued that El-Rufai’s claims lack factual basis and are an attempt to stoke ethnic tensions.
He cited a breakdown of appointments in key government agencies, including the NNPCL to challenge the narrative of ethnic favoritism.
According to Omokri, the current management of the NNPCL reflects national diversity.
He highlighted that only two members of the board are from the Southwest, with the remaining appointments spanning other regions, including the Northeast, Northwest, North-Central, Southeast, and South-South.
He also noted that executive positions with oversight of the NNPCL are predominantly held by individuals from the South-South and North-Central regions.
“The current management of the NNPCL includes Chief Pius Akinyelure as the Non-Executive Board Chairman from the Southwest, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari as Group Chief Executive Officer from the Northeast, Adedapo Segun as Chief Financial Officer from the Southwest, Mr Ledum Mitee as Non-Executive Director from the South-South, Mr Musa Tumsa as Non-Executive Director from the Northeast, Mr Ghali Muhammad as Non-Executive Director from the North-Central, Prof. Mustapha Aliyu as Non-Executive Director from the Northwest, Mr David Ogbodo as Non-Executive Director from the Southeast, and Ms Eunice Thomas as Non-Executive Director from the South-South.
“If you analyze the board, only two members are from the Southwest. Now, let us examine those with direct executive oversight of the NNPCL: Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) from the South-South; Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) from the South-South; and Ambassador Nicholas Agbo Ella, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, from the North-Central.
“How can anyone honestly claim that President Tinubu is pursuing a Yorubacentric agenda at the NNPCL? The facts simply do not support this. If there is any dominance at all, it favours the South-South, which is the most represented at both the board and cabinet levels overseeing the NNPCL.
“Even if you go to the extent of scrutinizing the lower cadre of the NNPCL, you will find that, apart from possibly two positions, nearly all of those appointments were made during General Buhari’s administration. This claim of Yorubacentricity is not only baseless but also misleading.
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“How can anyone honestly claim that President Tinubu is pursuing a Yorubacentric agenda when the facts do not support this argument? If anything, the South-South region is the most represented in NNPCL’s leadership,” Omokri said.
He extended his analysis to other revenue-generating agencies, such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Omokri pointed out that leadership positions in these agencies are distributed across various regions, with only two of the six key revenue earners headed by individuals from the Southwest.
Omokri accused El-Rufai of peddling misinformation capable of causing unnecessary ethnic divisions and market instability, warning that such narratives could negatively impact the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the economy at large.
“Where is the Yorubanisation or Yorubacentricity in this government? These baseless accusations must be challenged because they serve no purpose other than to fuel ethnic distrust and undermine national unity,” he said.
“The CEO of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, is from the Northeast; the CEO of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho, is also from the Northeast; the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, hails from the Southwest.
“The CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Maida, is from the Northwest; the CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dayo Mobereola, is from the Southwest; and the CEO of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bello Hassan, is from the Northwest.”
Omokri’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about the composition of President Tinubu’s administration and its commitment to equitable representation across Nigeria’s diverse regions
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