NNPC shake-up: Jonathan sacks GMD, three Executive Directors

President Goodluck Jonathan had again shocked the nation by embarking on a major change in the nation’s oil sector. Jonathan had on Tuesday sacked the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Austen Oniwon, and three other group executive directors. Oniwon and the three directors were asked to go on compulsory leave, though no
obvious negative reason was given by the president on why it was imperative for them to have been sacked. The nation’s oil job will now be shouldered by a new GMD; Mr. Andrew Yakubu who was announced to take over from Oniwon. The affected Executive Directors are Mr. Michael Arokodare, in charge of Finance and Accounts; Mr. Phillip Chukwu, Refineries & Petrochemicals; Mr. Billy Agha, Engineering & Technology. In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the affected officials are expected to proceed on retirement leave immediately. The President said the company’s executive management team was touched in order to boost the ongoing reforms and transformation of Nigeria’s petroleum sector, also another viable means of “achieving greater transparency and accountability in government.” Even though Oniwon is said to be overdue for retirement, the shake-up is said to be Jonathan’s way of reacting to the outcome of the recent subsidy probe, and the agitation from people on the need to have more credible people in the oil sector. Some analysts have criticized the president for taking the decision, yet the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke remains untouched. “The changes should have been holistic, there is no point leaving the person who presided over the rot in the industry there,” an oil industry top official spoke to our correspondent. There has been agitation for the removal of Madueke by Nigerians who are of the opinion that a company that has been robbed to the tune of 1.7 trillion naira cannot be restructured without blaming the overall head for its failure. Meanwhile Oniwon had been due for retirement since April last year but was asked to carry on in office based on Madueke’s recommendation, who asked the president to extend his tenure to 2012. Oniwon was replaced by the former NNPC Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, who is from Kaduna State. The president has also approved other appointment for the NNPC. These are Group Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Bernard Otti; Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Mr. Abiye Membere; Group Executive Director,Corporate Services, Dr. Peter S. Nmadu; Group Executive Director,Refineries & Petrochemicals;Dr. Anthony Ogbuigwe; Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investments, Dr. Attahir B. Yussuf; and Group Executive Director, Gas & Power, Dr. David Ige. Also approved by Mr. President was the appointment of Mr. Victor Briggs as the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company. The new NNPC GMD was a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and now a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineer. He joined the NNPC in 1980 and has since held different positions. Notable among them were the Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company and Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production).
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