Following the recent comment of the Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu saying he was not a magician to end the current fuel scarcity, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked the Minister to resign his position from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
APC National Vice Chairman, South-south, Prince Hilliard Eta, in a statement in Abuja said the Minister’s comment is an indication that he was incapable of running the ministry assigned to him and unable to provide workable solution to the current fuel scarcity in the country.
Eta said it was time Kachikwu descended from “his high horse to face squarely the duties required of him by his office, as responsibility to the people is one of the cardinal points of the APC, which he professes membership.”
The party while stating that it stands by its National leader, Ahmed Tinubu who took a swipe at the Minister over the weekend said, “Kachikwu has not entirely cast off the orientation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP where he was, adding that such is still manifesting in his actions and utterances such as the recent one that attracted contempt from many Nigerians.”
“In the light of the foregoing, Mr. Kachikwu must not be a cog in the wheel of progress and he should do the needful by resigning honourably if he is not capable of doing his part by efficiently running the ministry assigned to him.”
Eta who denied there was any major rift in the party, stated, “It is important to reiterate here that winning the federal election in 2015 has not eroded the core ideology of progressivism, which we espouse as it is the very foundation on which the party rests.
“This progressive ideology strongly emphasises government as a tool for service to the people, who are the custodians of power in the first instance. In line with this, it is not wrong or out of place for Tinubu to call the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to order owing to the anti progressive statements he made in the Presidential Villa on Wednesday March 23, 2016, while fielding questions from Journalists on the persisting scarcity of petrol.
“Secondly, we in the APC believe that it is proper to immediately correct mistakes or errors committed by any member of the party, no matter how highly placed and we are developing a culture of accountability to Nigerians that government is meant to serve.
“From this perspective, it is, therefore, understandable that Kachikwu’s statement to the effect that he has no solution to petrol scarcity bedevilling the country drew flaks from Tinubu and this does not, in any way imply that there is a crack within the party.
“In African culture, it is seen as irresponsible for an elder to watch a youngsters or an inexpensive person blunder without immediately calling him to order. ”
Also speaking on the issue, the South-East Chapter of the party stated that Tinubu had voiced the frustrations of Nigerians.
He explained that Tinubu’s democratic credentials and his commitment to the Nigerian project were not in doubt.
Okechukwu, however, said calls for Kachikwu’s resignation in some quarters were hasty in the light of the realities on the ground.
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