NNPC: Major Shake-Up In Govt Oil Firm, Second In 3 Months

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The group managing director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Mele Kyari has effected a major shake-up in the government oil firm, the second in three months.

Three months ago, Kyari redeployed top management staff of the company, including the corporation’s Chief Opreating Officer, Ventures and New Business Directorate, Roland Ewubare, who eventually resigned last Wednesday from the firm.

Ewubare’s resignation raised dusts in the corporation, with some insiders claiming his exit from the multi-billion dollar came amid his disagreement with Kyari.

Some also said the fear that he could be redeployed again, forced him to vacate his position.

He later debunked the claim, insisting that he left the company to be with his family in the United States of America, USA.

The corporation said President Buhari has accepted the resignation of Ewubare, as well as the retirement of the immediate past Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Farouk Garba.

But the Sunday shake-up, watchers of the firm say, may have confirmed the worst fears of some top management staff , that they would be moved from their positions , to other areas, because they are not in the good books of the NNPC boss.

Reacting to the redeployment Kyari said, there was need to refocus the corporation, so as to enable it live up to the expectation of her shareholders, Nigerians, and give impetus to the ongoing restructuring within the Corporation.

In this current shake-up, Adeyemi Adetunji, the Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, has been moved to the Ventures & Business Development Directorate as COO, to replace Ewubare.

Also, the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD) Adokiye Tombomieye has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Upstream while Mohammed Abdulkabir Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), was appointed the new Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Farouk Garba, the former occupant of that office retired last week.

Others are Billy Okoye, who has been redeployed from the NNPC Downstream Company, NNPC Retail Limited, as Managing Director, to replace Tombomieye as the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division; while Elizabeth Aliyuda, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing NNPC Retail Limited, takes over from Okoye as Managing Director.

NNPC revealed that Usman Farouk, Executive Director Asset Management and Technical Services at the NGMC will take over from Ahmed as Managing Director

Meanwhile, keen watchers of the corporation say the redeployment may have to do with the decision of Kyari to assert himself in the public oil company after he was appointed by President Buhari to take over from Maikanti Baru last year.

Baru has since died in May.