Osinbajo meets Kachikwu, Baru

By Odinta Oluma Christiana

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru.

Both of them are at daggers drawn over the allegation by the minister that the NNPC GMD authorised $25 billion contracts without following due process, He also accused him of insubordination.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Kachikwu said: “It is a meeting on the upstream, a normal typical meeting.

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It was largely AGIP bringing some information to the Vice President on where they have been in terms of Okpai, in terms of Zabazaba Deepwater oilfield, in terms of the cash call exit, which they are doing with NNPC, basically updating him, asking for areas where they need some assistance from government officials to sort of fast-track. It was a normal upstream meeting.”

Asked if the GMD was part of the meeting, Kachina said: “Definitely, of course.”

On the extent the issue of cash call was discussed, he said: “Yes, we did only to the extent that a few completion items on NNPC, largely the opening up of the escrow accounts and that type of stuff which they need to fasten up on.

“But we are far gone on that. Installment payments are already going on, I think NNPC is undertaking by October or early next month to complete that whole process. So, it is going on very well.”