It’s fake news! Kyari not suspended as NNPC GCEO – Presidency source

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Contrary to speculations making the round that President Bola Tinubu has directed the suspension of Mallam Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, there is no such directive from the President.

Presidency sources confided in this newspaper on Saturday night that the President has not given such directive for the suspension of Kyari as NNPC Boss.

Social media platforms were abuzz on Saturday evening with several posts claiming the President had directed the immediate suspension of Kyari as NNPC GCEO.

The social media posts of the purported suspension of Kyari gained traction as it was coming barely 24 hours after the Presidency announced the suspension of Godwin Emefiele from office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Multiple sources in the Presidency however disclosed that there is no such plan to suspend Kyari as the GCEO of the NNPC.

One of the sources said, “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.”

An aide to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation noted that they have not received any of such directive from the President.

“Please disregard those reports because they are fake news. We don’t have such directive from the President to suspend Kyari,” the Aide said.

The source said the Presidency will not dignify rumour mongers with an official response.