Nature
doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach; if it did, the prayers and hopes of
Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, to be retained
in his position in the next administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would
come to fruition. The reappointment
of Godwin Emefiele for another term of five
years as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has further heightened
this aspiration.
Anybody in his shoes would hope so too considering that unlike
Emefiele, Kachikwu’s initial appointment as the Group Managing Director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was greeted with widespread
appreciation and acceptance. When he was later elevated to his current post,
Nigerians unanimously thought he was a round peg in a round hole, a perfect fit
for the porous petroleum ministry.
While Kachikwu may have succeeded in virtually stamping out fuel
scarcity from the lexicography of Nigerians, he may not have had it smooth
running the ministry considering that President Buhari holds the substantive
position of minister. Also, he was involved in a superiority battle with Dr
Maikanti Baru, GMD of the NNPC. Like the proverbial cat and mouse, there is no
love lost between the two eggheads.
Not too long ago, Kachikwu and Baru had a bitter falling out
which climaxed with the leak of a memo he wrote to the President accusing Baru
of among other things, insubordination and sharp practices, especially the
unilateral award of a $25billion contract. Baru did not suffer fools gladly and
he fired back with the same venom, saying the allegation was baseless and that
he was answerable to the President and the Minister of Petroleum, not the
Minister of State. Before the presidency waded in to thaw the ice, Nigerians
had been fed with dirty details of happenings within the petroleum industry.
On the surface, both men are back on level terms but those who
know say given a choice between them, Baru is far more preferred within the
president’s inner circle to take over the position of Minister of Petroleum
Resources which the president reportedly plans to relinquish. And which
Kachikwu is not only eyeing but has been tapping his local and international
contacts and connections to nick.
The reappointment of Emefiele has further emboldened him to dare
and hope. He probably is oblivious to the reports that while Emefiele has been
good to members of the president’s family, such accolades are not accorded him
despite superintending over an acknowledged juicy ministry. But will he be as
fortunate as Emefiele? The next few weeks would tell.
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