Kyari didn’t direct NNPC to keep N50b from TSA – Baru

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has debunked the allegation that its Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had ever stated in any fora that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, “directed the Corporation to keep the sum of N50billion away from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).”

In a press statement signed by the group general manager public affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the allegation was baseless, a clear misrepresentation of the truth, fabricated by an online publication recently.

Ndu Ughamadu said that by virtue of the operations of the NNPC, the Corporation had made series of compelling cases to the Presidency and the Central Bank of Nigeria to allow certain categories of accounts operate outside the TSA, as they contain co-mingled funds governed by detailed agreements with local and international implications.

He also said that the NNPC equally wishes to state that while these necessary approvals sought by the NNPC were graciously given by the Presidency, the Chief of Staff merely conveyed the notice of these approvals to the corporation.

In the same vein, members of the relevant committee of the National Assembly have requested for copies of such approvals, which were duly provided by the Corporation.

To claim that the Chief of Staff single-handedly approved these exemptions was not only unfair, but is a complete misrepresentation of facts to mislead the general public.

The NNPC under Dr. Baru has in the past few months been engulfed in several controversies including the battle with the Minister of state for Petroleum Resources Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachuikwu.

By Idu Jude Abuja