Uche Usim, Abuja and Adewale Sanyaolu

In what may have ended months of speculations over the future of the current management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday appointed Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, as its new Group Managing Director with effect from July 8.

The appointment of Kyari follows the impending retirement of the current NNPC GMD, Mr. Maikanti Baru, who  will be leaving the services of the organisation  on July 7 after attaining the mandatory age of 60 years

Also appointed alongside Kyari, are seven new Chief Operating Officers.

Kyari, a geologist, who would assume duty on July 8, was before now the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since May 13, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC).

President Buhari has however directed that the new GMD and other newly appointed CEOS should  work with the current occupiers of the various offices till July 7, 2019 to ensure a smooth transition on July 8 2019 when their appointments would take effect.

The newly appointed CEO’s are; Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare, who hails from the South-South region of the country and as  Chief Operating Officer, Upstream. Until his new appointment he was Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investments and Management Services,  the Corporate Services (NAPIMS) unit of the Corporation headquartered in Lagos.

Before his NAPIMS’ appointment, he was Managing Director of the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), a seismic data acquisition company of NNPC based in Benin.

Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu, hails from North Central region of the country and is newly appointed as Chief Operating Officer, Refining and Petrochemicals. Until his new appointment, he was the Managing Director of National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO).

Engr. Yusuf Usman, hails from North East and is Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power. Until his new appointment, he was Senior Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director of the Corporation.

Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu, from South East, is the newly appointed  Chief Operating Officer, Ventures. She, was until her new appointment was the Group General Manager, NNPC Oil Field Services, established to provide technical services to players in the Industry.

Mr. Mr. Umar Isa Ajiya, from North West region of the Country who holds the new position of Chief Financial Officer, was until his recent appointment, the Managing Director of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) of NNPC, a Downstream arm of the Corporation. Prior to holding the position as the Managing Director of PPMC, he was the Corporation’s Group General Manager Corporate Planning and Strategy (CP&S).

Adeyemi Adetunji, who is from the South West region of the country, holds the new appointment of Chief Operating Officer, Downstream, was until his new appointment the Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, a Downstream Marketing Company of NNPC. Prior to his position as the MD of the Downstream Marketing Company, he was General Manager, Transformation Department, a Think-thank unit of the corporation.

Mr. Farouk Garba Said, who hails from North West and holds the new position of Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, was Group General Manager, Engineering and Technology Division of NNPC.

Related News

Said would be taking over from the present occupier of the office who retires statutorily on 28th June, 2019.

Spokesman of the NNPC iNdu Ughamadu, in a statement said that NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had congratulated the new appointees.

In the last 27 years, he had traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum indsutry with exceptional records of performance.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have been commenting on yesterday’s replacement of Mr Maikanti Baru as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Kyari would be the 19th Group Managing Director of the national oil company.

As the new management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) prepares to take over the mantle of leadership, stakeholders have called for a more transparent and efficient management of nations resources.

In separate interviews with Daily Sun, the stakeholders advised the new management to enthrone a new regime of financial accountability and openness to enable Nigerians and stakeholders to followup on the Corporation’s activities.

According to the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP),  Mr. Tokunbo Mumuni, said the new management should take a radical departure from the opaqueness of its predecessors in the running and management of the affairs of the NNPC.

‘‘No person or organisation will expect to be doing the same thing, same way, all the time and expect a different result. It simply doesn’t not work that way. And that is how I expect the new management to be thinking.

They should strive to do things differently, so that at the end of their tenure, Nigerians will remember them for good.’’

Mumuni said in a democratic setting, things should be done with openness to foster accountability, saying that all monies that ought to accrue to the federation account must be properly remitted as at when due without holding back on anything.

He said the President should give the new management marching orders on accountability and transparency in the way the business of oil and gas is being run by them.

For his part, the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said despite the fact that the petroleum policy of the country is not defined by NNPC, the state oil corporation as an implementing agency of the policy would be held liable for its failure.

Rewane advised the new management of the NNPC to ensure that the oil and gas policy thrust of the country must be run efficiently while all avenues leading to wastages must be plugged.