The Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups, has called on Nigerians to focus on advocating for transparency and competition within the oil industry.
Newspot reported that youths of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and members of civil society organizations, CSOs, on Monday, stormed the three Arms Zone in Abuja to demand the resignation of Mele Kyari, over the NNPCL’s failure to revive Nigerian government refineries.
The protesters, under the auspices of the APC Solidarity and Development Forum, comprising youths and civil society organizations, accused Kyari of incompetence.
They decried the astronomical hike in fuel prices, scarcity of the commodity and queues at petrol stations across the country, as well as high level of economic hardship in the country.
They protesters, in an open letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the unending fuel scarcity across the country is a sign of systemic failure in leadership and operational oversight within NNPCL.
However, in a statement signed by Comrade Victor Duniya, Publicity Secretary Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups, the northern youth said the call for Kyari resignation was unfair to the NNPCL boss.
The protest in Abuja on Monday discredited Kyari’s leadership and the Arewa group said it condemns the motives behind the protest.
“This misleading narrative is not only inaccurate but serves to obfuscate the real challenges facing the oil industry in Nigeria,” it added.
“The youth who participated in this protest demonstrate how the oil industry has become a playground for hirelings of a powerful oil cabal who seek to manipulate public sentiment for their gain.
“The motivations behind this protest seem deeply entrenched in personal interest rather than collective welfare.
“It is imperative to understand that the oil sector, like many other industries, operates within a market structure where various actors and stakeholders have stakes.
“This is a clear case of internal sabotage, which must be investigated and the culprit, be brought to book for unethical conduct.
“Again, we cannot ignore the reality that the calls for Mr Kyari’s removal seem to come from those who have successfully monopolised the cement value chain and wish to entrench similar models in the oil and gas sector.
“The detrimental effects of cement monopolists are a lesson we should heed, and instead of pushing for narrow interests, our focus should be on advocating for transparency and competition within the oil industry.
“As representatives of the Arewa youth, we advocate for constructive engagement rather than confrontation. While dissent and peaceful protest form an integral part of democracy, they must be based on facts and geared towards constructive criticism, dialogue, and eventual resolution.
“The recent protests, however, lack a foundation in truth and appear driven by elements with ulterior motives that jeopardise our collective progress.”
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