The new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, Friday said he viewed his appointment as a serious national assignment and called on well-meaning individuals for support instead of sponsoring congratulatory advertisement on his appointment.
Kachikwu, in a statement by the NNPC, appealed to friends and well-wishers to stop placing congratulatory adverts on him in the media.
He said he sees his appointment as a serious national assignment that does not require the frivolity of congratulatory adverts and the celebration they connote.
He added that he would rather appreciate that friends and well-wishers support him with their prayers for divine guidance to carry out the onerous task ahead.
Kachikwu was appointed, Tuesday, by President Muhammdu Buhari as the chief executive of the NNPC, making him the 17th Group Managing Director of the Corporation.
Prior to his appointment, Kachikwu who took over from Mr. Joseph Dawha, was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa).
Kachikwu, is a First Class Graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School. He also has Masters’ and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School.
He started his working career with the Nigerian/American Merchant Bank before moving on to Texaco Nigeria Limited where he remained for about eight years before joining ExxonMobil.
Barely 24 hours after his appointment, Kachikwu , relieved the eight Group Executive Directors, GEDs, of the NNPC of their appointments with immediate effect.
The GEDs who were relieved of their duties were: Mr. Bernard Otti, GED Finance and Accounts; Dr. Timothy Okon, Acting GED Exploration and Production who also doubles as Coordinator Corporate Planning & Strategy and Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, Engineering and Technology.
Others are: Dr. David Ige, Gas and Power; Ms. Aisha Abdurrahman, Commercial and Investment; Dr. Dan Efebo, Corporate Services; Engr. Ian Udoh, Refining & Petrochemicals; and Dr. Attahiru Yusuf, Business Development.
Kachikwu, who personally conveyed the Federal Government’s decision to the retiring Group Executive Directors expressed gratitude to them for their services to the Corporation and wished them success in their future endeavors.
The sledge hammer was also meant to hit all the subsidiary chief executives, but the decision was suspended following further instructions from the Presidency.
The NNPC Group comprises of the following subsidiaries: Duke Oil Nigeria Limited; Hydrocarbon Services Nigeria Limited, Hyson; International Data Services Limited, IDSL; Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, KRPC; Nigerian Engineering Technical Company, NETCO; Nigerian Gas Company, NGC and the National Petroleum Development Company, NPDC.
Others are the National Petroleum Investment Marketing Services, NAPIMS; Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC; Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC and Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC.
