Major NNPC Reshuffle Raises Concerns

With just a few days left to the expiration of the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has carried out a major reshuffle of 30 of its key officials.

This has not gone down well with top players in the Oil and Gas sector.

Stakeholders in the industry noted that such a move may jeopardize the re-engineering process going on in the corporation.

“I think the recurring shake-ups in NNPC have nothing much to be desired of a stake-owned oil company struggling to meet up with its contemporaries in other parts of the world. This development, coupled with the politicisation of the corporation, explains why the 42-year-old entity is still gasping for breath and failing in adding the desired value to the lives of Nigerians”, a public affairs analyst told Daily Independent.

One of those affected in the shake-up is the Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Yusuf Matashi, who was removed and replaced by Usman Yusuf, the Senior Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director (GMD).

Speaking on the change of guard in the corporation, NNPC spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, downplayed the significance of the shake-up.

According to Ughamadu, the exercise involved statutory retirement of 11 of its senior management staff as well as redeployment of 19 others.

According to him, 30 senior staff were affected by both the statutory retirements and redeployment, including General Manager, Chad Basin, Aniya Francis Umaru, who is from the North-Eastern part of the country and retired on May 6, 2019; Adewale Solomon Ladenegan, Managing Director, KRPC, who hails from the South-West and retired on May 13, 2019 and Musa Sulyman Gimba, who is the Group General Manager, NNPC Leadership Academy, who also is from the North-East and retired on May 14, 2019.

Others are: Umma Ayuba Musa, who is the General Manager, HR & Admin Services, Duke Oil, from North-West and retired on May 19, 2019; Emmanuel-Ate Mariagoretti Ndidi, General Manager, Support Services, NGC, from the South-South region and retires on May 30, 2019; Tsavnande Thaddeaus Atighir, Executive Director, Operations, from the North-Central; Okor Ovieghara, General Manager, Upstream/TA to GMD, who hails from the South-South region; Barau Mohammed Kabir, Managing Director, NGMC, who is from the North-Western region; Dawaki Salihi Abubakar, the General Manager, NLNG, LIMS, from the North-West; Ibrahim Aminu Bagudu, Executive Director, ETSD, NPDC, who is from the North-West and Yusuf Shimingah Matashi, Managing Director, NPDC, who hails from the North-Western region retires on July 17, 2019.

Naming 19 staff that were redeployed, he mentioned: Anas Mustapha Mohammed now General Manager, Operations, WAPCO; Usman Frank, Manager now Executive Director, Asset Management, NGMC; Ali Muhammed Sarki now General Manager, Chad Basin, FES; Osarolube Ezekiel now Managing Director, KRPC; Ihya Aondoaver Mson now General Manager/ STA Refining to GMD; Abubakar Lapai now Group General Manager, NNPC Leadership Academy; Umar Hmaza Ado now Executive Director Services, NPDC; Garba Adamu Kaita named General Manager, HR and Admin services at Duke Oil; Ossai Uche named General Manager, Support Services, NGC.

Others are Usman Umar now Executive Director Operations, KRPC; Ehizoje Tunde now General Manager, Upstream/STA to GMD; Ahmed Mohammed named Managing Director, NGMC, Gas and Power; Lere Isa Aliyu now General Manager/STA to GMD Downstream; Richard-Obioha Nkemegina now General Manager, New LNG Ventures, LIMS; Dikko Ahmed now General Manager NLNG, LIMS; Ibrahim Ayobami, named Executive Director, ETSD, NPDC; Sambo Sadiq now Group General Manager/STA to GMD, and Buggu Louis, General Manager, Crude Oil Stock Management, COMD.

The NNPC spokesperson urged members of the public not to pay attention to the insinuation that some staff of the corporation were relieved of their duties.