The Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum (NDENYLF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to remain resolute in supporting the ongoing reform agenda at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), warning against calls seeking the resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bashir Ojulari.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Legborsi Yamaabana, Th8rsday, the forum said it had followed with keen interest the recent public campaign calling for Ojulari’s resignation over allegations relating to security expenditures, noting that the controversy had generated widespread public debate following media reports.
According to the umbrella body representing youth leaders across the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s strategic institutions require stability, professionalism and the opportunity to implement meaningful reforms without unnecessary distractions.
The group said Ojulari had, since assuming office, demonstrated a commitment to repositioning NNPC Ltd. into a more efficient, commercially driven and performance-oriented national energy company.
It described the NNPC boss as a seasoned oil and gas professional whose decades of technical and executive experience place him in a strong position to drive the transformation of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
NDENYLF stressed that the oil and gas sector remains the backbone of the nation’s economy and therefore requires consistency in leadership, sound corporate governance and long-term planning rather than what it described as politically motivated distractions capable of undermining investor confidence and slowing ongoing reforms.
The forum urged Nigerians to distinguish between allegations and established facts, insisting that issues relating to public institutions should be addressed through the appropriate statutory channels.
“Every public institution is subject to oversight, and where legitimate questions arise, the appropriate statutory agencies should be allowed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without prejudice or media trials. Accountability must be pursued through due process, fairness and the rule of law,” the statement said.
The group further noted that the Niger Delta had consistently advocated transparency, increased oil production, improved community engagement, environmental responsibility and sustainable development, adding that such objectives could only be achieved through institutional stability and competent leadership.
It also commended the ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency, strengthen corporate governance, boost investor confidence and reposition NNPC Ltd. as a globally competitive national energy company.
According to the forum, such reforms require continuity, patience and the support of all patriotic Nigerians to achieve their intended objectives.
The youth body therefore appealed to President Tinubu to resist any pressure capable of prematurely derailing the transformation of the nation’s most strategic economic institution.
It maintained that Ojulari should be allowed to complete what it described as the difficult but necessary task of repositioning Nigeria’s oil and gas sector for greater productivity, transparency, profitability and national economic growth.
NDENYLF added that at a critical period in the country’s history, Nigeria requires constructive engagement, institutional stability and sustained reforms rather than distractions capable of reversing the progress already being recorded.
Blessing Ibunge
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