In Major Reschuffle, Ughamadu returns as NNPC's Spokesman

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has completed another major shake-up in its personnel distribution.

It has redeployed about 109 of its staff to various positions in a decision reportedly aimed at increasing its productivity.

Although no official statement on this was made by the corporation, a document sighted by THISDAY on Monday in Abuja however disclosed that its former spokesman, Mallam Garba Deen Muhammad has been redeployed and replaced with NNPC’s one-time spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu.

Ughamadu was NNPC’s Group General Manager (GGM) Government and Labour Relations before his new appointment. He once served the corporation as its spokesperson during the time of former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Gaius Obaseki.

According to the document, the changes were effected on Friday, November 11, 2016. All of the Group Executive Directors (GEDs) who were appointed by former GMD and now Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu were not affected.

Garba Deen will now serve as General Manager, Communications Strategy and Policy, while the head of the Human Resource department, Mrs. Adekemi Akitoye Adunni has been replaced by Oyeyemi Ladipo.

As part of the changes, the position of the Company Secretary and Legal Adviser which was occupied by Mr. Chidi Momah was split into two, accommodating Mrs. Hadiza Coomasie as the Legal Adviser while former Momah remains just as the corporation’s Secretary.

The other changes in positions in the corporation were effected across managerial cadre and some subsidiary companies of the NNPC.

However, the positions of GGM Strategy and Execution which was created by Kachikwu within the entire Directorates of the corporation were no longer contained in the document. It was discovered that they may have been scrapped to save cost.

Indications from sources in the corporation showed that no one was sacked and that they were just normal staff reorganisation to improve efficiency.