Buhari Sacks Baru, Replaces Abba Kyari’s Brother As NNPC GMD

Emmanuel AmudaJune 20, 2019

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President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr Mele Kolo Kyari as the new GMD of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The President also appointed seven Chief Operating Officers alongside Kyari. The newly appointed officers are to work with current officeholders till July 7, 2019, for a smooth transition to take place.

This was disclosed in a statement signed on Thursday by the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Ndu Ughamadu.

“President Buhari has directed that the New GMD and the newly appointed COOs work with the current occupiers of the various offices till 7th July 2019 towards a smooth transition on 8th July 2019 when their appointments would take effect to ensure a smooth transition.

“However, the appointment of Mr Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring Chief Operating Officer, is effective from 28th June 2019,” the statement read in part.

The newly appointed Chief Operating Officers are:

Roland Onoriode Ewubare (S/South) – COO Upstream
Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (N/ Central) – COO Refining & Petrochemicals
Yusuf Usman (N/East) – COO, Gas & Power
Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (S/East), COO Ventures
Umar Isa Ajiya (N/West) – Chief Financial Officer
Adeyemi Adetunji (S/West) – COO, Downstream and
Farouk Garba Said (N/West) – COO, Corporate Services.

The immediate ex-NNPC GMD, Maikanti Baru has however congratulated the newly appointed officers.

Until his new appointment, Kyari, a geologist, was Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since May 13, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

“He is a quintessential crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in Petroleum Economics and crude oil and gas trading.

“In the last 27 years, he had traversed the entire value chain of the Petroleum Industry, with exceptional records of performance.

“Under his watch, the Crude Oil Marketing Division has recorded noticeable transformation in the management and sales of various Nigeria’s crude oil grades via an infusion of transparency and automation of the processes,” Ughamadu said.

Kyari would be the 19th GMD of the NNPC.