Sources in the presidency have reacted to reports that President Bola Tinubu has suspended Mele Kyari as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
Reports had been rife on the social media on Saturday afternoon that Kyari had been suspended over allegations of fraud and irregularities within the NNPC.
But in a rebuttal made on Saturday evening to The Whistler, a presidency source informed that President Tinubu has not given any such directive.
“We got to know about the purported suspension through social media posts. But I can confirm to you that there is no such directive coming from the President. Nigerians are known to play a lot with trends and someone may just have sat down somewhere to make such posts.
“There is no iota of truth in that post claiming that the President has suspended the NNPC GCEO. There is nothing to be worried about because the Petroleum Industry Act is clear on how the NNPC GCEO or any member of the NNPC Board could be removed,” the source was quoted to have said.
Also, an aide to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation affirmed that no such directive had been given by the President.
He said: “Please disregard those reports because they are fake news. We don’t have such directive from the President to suspend Kyari.”