President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mele Kolo Kyari as the Group Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. He replaces the current GMD, Maikanti Baru, who bows out on July 7, 2019.
Kyari, believed in some quarters to be a brother to former Presidential chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, hails from Borno. But former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-kayode, claims that they are not related. He said he had known the Kyari family for long, and that kolo is not a member of their family.
Abba Kyari is unlikely to return as the Chief of staff, according to information available to this magazine. Former minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, may likely replace him.
Beside the GMD, Buhari also approved the appointment of seven new Chief Operating Officers to work with the new GMD. These are Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South), Chief Operating Officer, Upstream; Engineer Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North-Central), Chief Operating Officer, Refining and Petrochemicals; Engineer Yusuf Usman (North-East), Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power; Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South-East), Chief Operating Officer, Ventures; Mr. Umar Isa Ajiya (North-West) – Chief Financial Officer; Engineer Adeyemi Adetunji (South-West),Chief Operating Officer, Downstream; and Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North-West), Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services,
The old principal officers are expected to work with the new ones till july 7 for a smooth transition.
