Alleged Marginalization: 21 Southerners Hold Top Management Positions As COOs, MDs, GMs, Others In NNPC 

Says top management appointments based on merit

Contrary to allegations of lopsidedness in management appointments at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the corporation has reacted, saying it was guided by professional competence, principle of transparency and accountability in the March 2020 top management appointments.

Besides, the state run oil company said the principle of federal character was also applied in the progression of management staff and new appointees.

On May 4, 2020, no fewer than 1,050 graduate-trainees recruited by the NNPC which reflected national spread assumed duties  via virtual platform as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic which has limited travels, movements and physical contacts in office settings in line with the federal government’s directives.

The Group Managing Director, Malam Mele Kyari, restated avowedly that the corporation under his leadership would continue to be driven by the principle of fairness, equity and justice in its appointments and promotions of senior staff into management cadres.

For him, NNPC as a public institution and key enabler of the national economy with all Nigerians as stakeholders and co-owners should be run and managed to realize national aspirations and prosperity as well as promote national unity and cohesion devoid of marginalization or exclusion of some states or ethnic groups.

To date, investigations by Per Second News revealed that among the 21 Nigerians from the South who made the list of NNPC top management staff configuration, are Managing Directors, Chief Operating Officers and Group General Managers in the subsidiaries, contrary to a petition by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) to President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging injustice, lopsidedness and exclusion of Niger Delta people”from the mainstream management structure’’ of the organization. Strategically, crude oil marketing portfolio is domiciled in Rivers State with a son of the soil taking charge (Tombomieye, Adokiye (Rivers) GGM (Crude Oil Marketing Division).

They are : Adetunji, Adeyemi (Oyo State) – Chief Operating Officer (COO) (Upstream), Ewubare Roland Onoriode (Delta) — COO (Ventures & Business Development), Ndupu, Lawrencia Nwadiobuwa (Imo) COO (Downstream), Oyetunde Ada Nneka (Abia) MD (NPSC), Bariwei Ayebateke Ferdinand (Bayelsa) MD (IDSL), Omotowa, Oluwaseyi Oluwaseun (Kogi) MD (NGC), Akamairo, Chris Chukwuma (Abia) GGM (Governance, Risk & Compliance), Obateru, Kehinde Adebisi (Kwara) GGM (GPAD) and Isegen, Usohu Ohi-Zaiki (Edo) GGM (Group Risk Management & Insurance Division).

Others include Ugona, Betty Amechi (Anambra) GGM (Research, Technology & Innovation RTI), Bakare, Babatunde (Lagos) MD (WRPC), Kolawole, Nike (Ogun) GGM (LIMS),
Eshiett, Rose Nat (Akwa Ibom) GGM (Finance CHQ F&A), Segun, Adedapo Adeolu (Ogun) GGM (Treasury CHQ F&A), Osarolube, Ezekiel (Rivers) MD (KRPC), Okoye, Billy Okechukwu (Anambra) MD (NNPC Retail Ltd), and Tombomieye, Adokiye (Rivers) GGM (Crude Oil Marketing Division).

Also in management positions are Oritsemeyiwa, Eyesan A.  (Delta) GGM (CP&S), Awoyomi, Johnson Olugbenleke (Osun) GGM (Engineering & Technology Division), Ladipo, Oyeyemi Lawunmi (Oyo) GGM (Human Resources GHR) and Onabu, Christina Uzochi (Enugu) MD (NIDAS).

Persecondnews also recalls that the Group Managing Director, Malam Mele Kyari, had restated avowedly that the corporation under his leadership would continue to be driven by the principle of fairness, equity and justice in its appointments and promotions of senior staff into management cadres.

For him, NNPC as a public institution and key enabler of the national economy with all Nigerians as stakeholders and co-owners should be run and managed to realize national aspirations and prosperity as well as promote national unity and cohesion devoid of marginalization or exclusion of some states or ethnic groups.

The NNPC spokesperson Kennie Obateru in statement captured the whole essence of the new appointments: “They depict a leadership of the corporation determined to ensuring placing square pegs in square holes.

“This was done without losing sight of geographical spread in respect of staffing.’’