The director of C&L Smart Energy Solutions, Charles Goriola Yakub, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s “most audacious and reformative leader,” vowing not to be silenced in his push for integrity in the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative.
Yakub’s remarks were in response to accusations from Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, Programme Director of the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI), alleged that Yakub’s company was part of a smear campaign against the programme.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Yakub categorically denied any political motives, describing the accusations as “defamatory, diversionary, and dangerous.”
A long-time supporter of Tinubu—from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the All Progressives Congress (APC)—Yakub insisted his criticism is aimed at protecting the CNG vision, not undermining it.
“My fight is to protect it from insiders who would sell it out from within,” he said.
Yakub, whose company operates Nigeria’s highest-capacity CNG conversion centre, challenged Oluwagbemi’s claims, noting that his facility was established nine months before the PCNGI’s launch.
“My wife and I invested our life savings to build this centre,” he said, dismissing allegations of sabotage.
He urged the public and media to scrutinise his record, including his public defence of the PCNGI on stakeholder platforms.
The energy entrepreneur questioned the allocation of public CNG kits, asking whether it was “blackmail” to demand transparency or “sabotage” to highlight disparities in kit distribution.
Yakub argued that his critiques are rooted in industry experience and a desire to maintain public trust in the programme.
“This is not about patriotism. This is about power,” he stated.
Yakub described the allegations against him as a tactic to “criminalise patriotism and silence accountability,” warning against conflating constructive dissent with defamation.
Yakub called on relevant authorities to investigate the claims and counterclaims, stressing the need for fairness in implementing the CNG programme.
“If Engr. Michael truly seeks truth, let him read my record,” he urged Nigerians to discern between genuine criticism and orchestrated attacks.