NNPC shake-up: Ohanaeze accuses Buhari of marginalising Igbo

Chief John Nnia Nwodo

The apex Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze, has flayed the Federal government over the recent reorganisation at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It said the lopsided nature of the exercise was a confirmation of the disdain the incumbent administration has for the South East.

President-General of the body, Chief John Nnia Nwodo said the marginalisation of the South East in the reorganisation showed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that the unity of Nigeria was settled and non-negotiable was mere lip service.

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Nwodo who stated this in a statement he personally signed, said the president must revisit the exercise in the interest of peace, unity and good governance. The NNPC, last Tuesday, announced fresh appointments and deployments of top executive officers across the value chain of its operations.

Nwodo said the reorganisation, which involved 55 top executives of the corporation, was not only appalling, but also betrayed “consistent and unrepentant disposition of disdain for the South East by the Buhari administration.” He stressed that the Ohanaeze had thought that following the president’s declaration in a broadcast recently that Nigeria’s unity was settled and non-negotiable, he would take all necessary actions in his governance to achieve it. 

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However, it noted that the NNPC shake up had not shown that the administration was walking its talk. “This brazen disregard, marginalisation and non-compliance with the Federal character provisions in our constitution are the causes of lack of confidence, which our youths have in our present governance structure.

As long as President Buhari continues to live out his speech abroad that his government will favour those who voted 97 per cent for him against those who voted 5 per cent for him so long will the dissatisfaction and unrest in our polity subsist,” Nwodo warned. He added: “There is no oil well anywhere in Northern Nigeria.

Four of the five states in the South East have proven oil resources some of which provide our nation’s revenue, yet our people are not found fit to be adequately represented in a key corporate institution like the NNPC.” He restated call to the president to revisit this recent reorganisation exercise in NNPC in the name of God and in the spirit of the ongoing festivity being celebrated in this season and in promotion of unity and good governance.

Fifty-five top management staff of NNPC were affected in the shake-up. Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said the exercise would not only help to position the Corporation for the challenges ahead but would also fill the gaps created due to statutory retirements of staff.

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According to a statement signed by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, under the new arrangement, Roland Ewubare, formerly managing director of the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) moved to the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) as the new group general manager while Diepriye Tariah, former group general manager and senior technical assistant to the NNPC GMD takes over from Ewubare as MD of IDSL. Malami Shehu, executive director (operations) of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) was appointed managing director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) while Adewale Ladenegan, former MD of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) was moved to KRPC as MD.

In the same vein, Muhammed Abah, until recently, the executive director (operations) of WRPC succeeded Ladenegan as MD of Warri Refinery.

With the retirement of Alhaji Farouk Ahmed as the MD of the Nigerian Products Marketing Company (NPMC), Umar Ajiya, former GGM in charge of Corporate Planning and Strategy (CP&S) assumed duty as MD of NPMC while Bala Wunti, former, General Manager, Downstream, GMD’s office took charge as GGM CP&S among other changes.