Change of leadership baton Thursday morning emerged at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as President Muhammadu Buhari has removed Dr Maikanti Baru and appointed Borno State trained geologist, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari as the new Group Managing Director.
Explaining the development, the Corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, added that apart from the removal of Baru, the presidency also appointed seven new Chief Operating Officers.
The seven incoming Chief Operating Officers (COOs) in the corporation will be replacing retiring ones effective from June 28, 2019 and the same date will serve as exit day for the changed GMD.
Business Hilights gathered that the nature of the leadership is designed in a way that both Baru and Kyari will work together till June 28 for seamless tutoring and sound footing from July 2019.
The seven COO to work with Kyari at NNPC are as follows:
Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South) – Chief Operating Officer, Upstream;
Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North Central) – Chief Operating Officer Refining and Petrochemicals;
Yusuf Usman (North East) – Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power;
Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South East), Chief Operating Officer Ventures;
Umar Isa Ajiya (North West) – Chief Financial Officer
Adeyemi Adetunji (South West) – Chief Operating Officer, Downstream
Farouk Garba Said (North West) – Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services.
Brief facts on Kyari, the new GMD of NNPC shows that he has been a quintessential crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in petroleum economics and crude oil and gas trading, traversing several sections of the Corporation in the past 27 years.
Kyari, who now becomes the 19th GMD of NNPC and his team of new COOs have been congratulated by the outgoing chief executive, Dr Maikanti Baru.
However, there is a trending revelation (yet to be verified) that the new GMD of NNPC, Mele Kyari is the younger brother of Abba Kyari, who is President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff. Also, Ms. Aisha Abba-Kyari is the Assistant Vice President, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
