Yusuf Olukokun
On June 10, 2023, a Twitter user, @StFreakingKezy tweeted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC Ltd.) Group Executive Director has been suspended with immediate effect.
The claim made by this user was visibly found on some Twitter accounts:
One of the tweets that went viral, was by @StFreakingKezy, his tweet on the alleged suspension went viral but has been deleted as of the time of filing this report.
VERIFICATION
Did Tinubu Suspend NNPC GCEO, Mele Kyari?
Following the suspension of CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele by President Bola Tinubu on 9th June 2023, information surrounding the suspension of the Group CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, started trending on Twitter due to the purported claim made by the same Twitter handles.
The researcher went on to search the keywords of the viral tweet on trusted news platforms regarding the alleged suspension of the Group CEO of NNPC. According to Vanguard, one of the sources closer to the Presidency maintained that the purported suspension is not a directive from the president of the country.
The source asserted that the claim is not true and it is not a cause for concern because the petroleum industry act is clear on how NNPC GCEO or any member of the board could be suspended.
Also, The Guardian Nigeria reported that an aide who is close to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, disregarded the claim against the alleged suspension of Mele Kyari and urged the public to do away with such news.
The sources contacted by The Guardian Nigeria furtherly clarified that the presidency doesn’t intend to provide an official response to such rumours because they do not want to publicize the spread of misinformation.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Mele Kyari has been suspended as the Group CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is FALSE.
