South-East APC rejects call for Kachikwu's resignation

The recent call by some Civil Society Organiza­tions that the Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachik­wu should resign or be fired for his inability to find a solution to the lingering petrol crisis in the country has been totally rejected by the South East chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Mr. Kachikwu’s recent sub­mission that the fuel scarcity being experienced in the coun­try may likely continue for the next two months drew critical fire from a wide range of stake­holders.
The junior minister of petro­leum also said he has no “magic” to find a solution to the problem before that time.
Reacting to Kachukwu’s posi­tion, a national leader of the gov­erning APC, Bola Tinubu, over the weekend pilloried the petro­leum minister, alleging Kachuk­wu’s comments showed a lack of respect and empathy to suffering Nigerians.
In further reactions, a coali­tion of civil society groups, Civ­il Society Coalition for Positive Change and Stand Up for Nige­ria, SUN, yesterday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Kachikwu to quit from office over the pro­longed scarcity of fuel.
Venatius Torkuma and La­bake Boboye, National Presi­dent and Executive Director of the groups respectively, in a joint statement said the Minister of State for Petroleum has failed to justify his appointment.
But the South East APC in a statement signed by Osita Oke­chukwu said Tinubu is not only “politically correct but has the constitutional rights to condemn the joke made by the Hon Min­ister of State for Petroleum Re­sources, Ibe Kachikwu.