NNPC fires COO, redeploys senior management staff

On Monday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation announced the promotion and redeployment of some staff to fill vacant positions, as well as the disengagement of a chief operating officer.

The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Kennie Obateru, announced in a statement issued in Abuja that Billy Okoye had been appointed the new Group Executive Director, Ventures and Business Development, while Aisha Ahmadu-Katagum was promoted to the position of Group Executive Director, Corporate Services.

“Until their new appointments, Mr. Okoye and Mrs. Ahmadu-Katagum were Group General Managers, Crude Oil Marketing Division and Supply Chain Management Division in the Corporation, respectively,” the statement read in part.

It added that Adeyemi Adetunji, formerly Chief Operating Officer, Business and Ventures Development, is now the Group Executive Director, Downstream; while Mohammed Ahmed, formerly Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, had now assumed the position of Group Executive Director, Gas and Power.

NNPC stated that other Chief Operating Officer positions in the Corporation had now been re-designated as Group Executive Directors, in alignment with the rules of Company and Allied Matters Act.

This, it said, was preparatory to the new status of the corporation as a limited liability company, post-Petroleum Industry Bill.

“The repositioning also saw the disengagement of Yusuf Usman, formerly Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power,” the oil firm said.

It added, “The new appointments include that of Mr Garba-Deen Muhammad, who will take over from Dr. Kennie Obateru, as the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation.”

The oil firm’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said the new appointments would enable the corporation to live up to the expectations of Nigerians.

He said the development would also enable the corporation to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class energy company of choice.