Yar’Adua fires NNPC officials

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on Tuesday approved the sacking of all the executive directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

In the exercise, six Group Executive Directors have been replaced with new ones appointed in acting capacity.

The new appointees are: Attahiru Baba Yusuf (North East) who takes over from Ibrahim Waziri as the new Ag. Group Executive Director, (Corporate Services). Augustine Olusegun Oniwon (North Central), Ag. Group Executive Director (Refining and Petrochemicals) replaces Onochie Azubuike Anyaoku (South East).

Others are Philip Onwuzuike Chukwu (South East) who takes over from Chris Ogiewonyi, (South South) as Ag. Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production). Aminu A. Babakusa (North West) replaces Shehu Ladan (North West) as Ag. Group Executive Director (Commercial and Investment).

Also appointed were Faithful Abi Abiyesoku (South South) who succeeds Olusola Williams Ayangbile (South West) as Ag. Group Executive Director (Engineering and Technology) and Micheal Abiodun Arokodare (South West) who takes over from Mr. Stanley Lawson (South South) as Ag. Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts).

There was no explanation for the sudden sack of the six officials or why new ones were appointed in acting capacities, except for comments credited to the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, in a statement that "the ongoing changes are in response to the enormous challenges of survival and growth of the corporation."

However, our correspondent gathered that the sack was done a month ago, but was suspended because of outcry over the new appointments.

Part of the reasons for the outcry was the marginalisation particularly from the core Niger Delta area, which feels excluded from actual involvements in the oil and gas industry.

This set of appointments is the second major in the NNPC top management, which started with the appointment of Barkindo in January as the new helmsman, taking over from Abubakar Lawal Yar'Adua, whose appointment a year earlier was also terminated abruptly.

It also contravenes assurances by Mr. Barkindo that there would be no more sacks within the NNPC until the current reforms of the state-run corporation and the oil and gas industry were over.