Former GMD, NEITI, Applaud Kyari’s Choice As NNPC’s Boss

Petroleum industry veteran and a former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has described the appointment of Mr. Melee Kyari as the GMD of the corporation as a welcome development and a pointer to the federal government’s commitment to the transformation of the oil and gas industry.

The former GMD from the North West praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s pick of Kyari to lead the NNPC, calling him a “tremendously gifted person” who he said would be an outstanding leader.

Melee Kyari is a fine professional that has the intellectual capacity to take the NNPC to the next level. He is one of the few staff of the corporation that you can call upon at any time and who would respond to the task assigned to them. There is no way you can hide people who are good on their jobs. For me, Kyari is a round peg in a round hole.”

“When I was GMD he was a deputy manager and he’s so vast and brilliant that I often bypass his direct boss and call him into my office to assign him vital tasks which he accomplished with diligence and tact, said the former GMD, who spoke to this newspaper under the condition of anonymity.

He lauded the appointment calling Kyari a bold reformer.

Kyari, within the last 28 years has traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry posting resounding performance in all his assignments and duty posts.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in a congratulatory message, described the appointment as an intimation of more openness and reforms in the national oil company.

“Mr Kyari is a well-known transparency champion and one who enthusiastically shares the principles which underline the work of NEITI and the global EITI on good governance of the oil and gas industry,” said Waziri Adio, executive secretary.

“Just yesterday, Mr. Kyari participated at a session on ‘the business case for state-owned enterprise and commodity trading transparency’ at the EITI global conference in Paris, France.

The appointment of Melee Kyari as the new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) makes him the 19th person to head the nation’s apex oil institution.

Those who have occupied the most coveted seat in the multi-billion dollar oil industry in Nigeria in the past 15 years are: Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, Funso Kupolokun, Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua, Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Shehu Ladan, Austin Oniwon, Engr Andrew Yakubu, Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Dr. Maikanti Baru.