Massive shake up at NNPC, as spokesperson, 90 other top management staff retire involuntarily
Oredola Adeola
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is currently undergoing a significant shake-up as over 90 of its top management staff have been forced to involuntarily resign with less than 15 months to their statutory retirement.
Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Limited, who was also affected by the move, has handed over to Iyabode Ayobami-Ojo (who is the most Senior in that department). The acting spokesperson, until her redeployment was the Head of Relationship and Stakeholder Management NNPC Limited.
All the affected NNPCL top management staff were sent packing on Tuesday after they handed over to their most senior in their offices.
Energyday’s assessment revealed that the number of retired top officials is quite high, some of them are five (5) Executive Vice Presidents, who are typically the highest-ranking officer in a company after the Group CEO, 11 Group General Managers, 25 General Managers, and 36 Managers.
The massive shake-up affected the Managing Director of the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, Ali Muhammed, and the MD of NNPC Shipping, Nike Kolawole, were also asked to go.
In addition, the Managing Director of Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN), Soibiton Isokariari, former Chief Executive of the defunct Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Abdulkadir Saidu, and Managing Director of the Warri Refinery, Olasunkanmi Jimoh, MD NNPC Properties, Ada Oyetunde, and the MD of Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), Barwa Mohammed, among others, were affected.
All the management staff on Grade Levels M6 to M3 with less than 15 months to statutory retirement were also affected by the latest development as some non-management staff are also on the line to be sacked.
Recall that the NNPCL recently announced that management staff with less than fifteen months to statutory retirement will be leaving the company effective September 19, 2023.
The move was part of the company’s commitment to pursue effective organizational renewal to support the delivery of its strategic business objectives. Guided by the provision of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the national oil company recently promoted three of its personnel to the position of vice presidents, after the compulsory retirement of the three Executive Vice Presidents.
The changes announced on Sunday, September 17, 2023, include the new EVPs, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, who was promoted from Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer of NNPC Ltd to Executive Vice President, Upstream.
Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye was deployed from his former duty as the Deputy Managing Director of the liquefaction company, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, and elevated to a new status as Executive Vice President, Gas, Power, and New Energy.
Mr. Adedapo Segun was elevated from his former role as Group General Manager, Treasury at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and deployed as Executive Vice President, Downstream.
Mele Kyari, in a statement acknowledging the exit of management staff on Grade Levels M6 to M3 and other top officers, revealed that the move was part of the company’s efforts to pursue effective organizational renewal and enhance its long-term viability.
Kyari has directed the exiting staff to hand over their responsibilities to the most senior staff in their respective departments, pending the appointment of new personnel.
He assured them of their exit package equal to their cash entitlements up to their notional retirement date, in line with the company’s employee value proposition.
The GCEO NNPC therefore stated that the decision to rejuvenate its workforce comes as part of its commitment to achieving global excellence and addressing the challenges it has faced in recent years.
