Noah Ebije, Kaduna

President Muhammadu Buhari’s kinsman Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim Daura has called on the President to resign from the office of Petroleum Minister and concentrate on his duty as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Daura, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State, made the call during a press briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday.

According to him, the office of the Presidency is very demanding and requires the full concentration of the President so that he can chart the affairs of the nation.

He explained that the petroleum ministry is very sensitive, as it is the mainstay of the nation’s economy; therefore the need to be handled by professionals who are not distracted by any other pertinent duty.

Alhaji Daura, also a businessman, added that the President since taking office has not toured all the refineries in the country to see how they are in order to map out a new policy that will rejuvenate the refineries.

“It is also saddening that the minister of state for petroleum Ibe Kachikwu is a lawyer by training and might not have the rudiment to manage the… affairs of the ministry.

“We all know that eighty percent of our revenue comes from the petroleum sector and if we don’t take proper care of the ministry, the country might be thrown into chaos.

“The recent fuel scarcity in the country might not be unconnected with the policy on ground where the President runs the ministry from the Aso Villa.

“Yes, some will say that President Buhari decided to hold onto the ministry to check some malpractices, but I can tell you that we have experts who can do same. Remember Prof. Tam David West, Obaseki and Abubakar Yar’adua? They are all experts in Petrochemical Engineering who have proved that they have what it takes to move the oil industry forward.

“We also have thousands of graduates with PhDs who are roaming the streets. Some of which are Petrochemical Engineers who the President can engage.

“I am a core supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and I want him to succeed. That is why I’m coming out with this advice to help him move forward” he said

Speaking on the call that President Buhari should contest in 2019, Alhaji Daura was supportive, saying that the President needed time to compete the good work he has already started.