Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, has described as “distressing,” the circulation of an internal memo he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari about the conduct of Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Maikanti Baru.

Kachikwu said the letter, which surfaced on the Internet Tuesday, was part of routine exchanges he regularly shares with the president about “developments in parastatals under his supervision.”

The minister conveyed the reaction through spokesperson for Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr Idang Alibi.

Alibi said the letter was aimed not at disparaging Baru but at “improving efficiency and deepening transparency in the oil and gas sector for continued investor confidence.”

The explanation comes hours after a 7-page letter which Kachikwu wrote to Mr. Buhari on August 30 was leaked online.

PT