The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, stated that its ongoing restructuring was designed to reposition its operations and refineries to profit-making ventures.
This was even as the NNPC denied claims that it was pursuing an ethnic agenda in the ongoing restructuring of the corporation.
The NNPC, in a statement issued after an interactive session with the top management of the Corporation in Abuja, disclosed that it is poised to ensure that all its refineries are run efficiently and profitably to meet the energy needs of the country.
Speaking at the forum, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, stated that the days when the Corporation was perceived as a civil service organization instead of a Corporation were over.
According to him, the Corporate Service Unit and all the Strategic Business Units of the NNPC would henceforth be run as profit centers.
To this end, Kachikwu solicited the support of the management of the NNPC and its subsidiaries in closing the skills gap and in turning the fortunes of the Corporation around.
He stated that efforts are in top gear to create a conducive working environment for members of staff, adding that for the NNPC to transform into a profit center like its peers in other climes, the morale of the work force must be high.
He urged the management to provide leadership by example to the workforce while adding that sectionalism, tribalism and any form of non-transparent transactions must be completely stamped out of the NNPC.
He also appealed to members of staff to act as change agents, assuring them that in the next 60 days some of the strategic targets would be translated into concrete milestones to the appreciation of all Nigerians.
Commenting on claims that it was pursuing an ethnic agenda, the NNPC disclosed that its recent appointments and retirement were done with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari and in compliance with federal character principles.
It said, “The NNPC has decried attempts by a section of the media to politicise the recent appointments and retirements in the Corporation by imputing ethnic colouration to the exercise.
“The appointments were made with the express approval of President Muhammadu Buhari and in compliance with extant laws regarding federal character, while the retirement exercise affected all those who were to retire between now and 2016 without any regard to ethnicity or state of origin.
“The recent appointments, promotions, and retirements are all a part of the ongoing restructuring exercise aimed at repositioning the Corporation into a lean, efficient, profit-driven organization in line with international best practices without regard to primordial sentiments.”
The NNPC, however, called on the Nigerian public to discountenance any report aimed at denigrating the ongoing reorganisation exercise in the Corporation
