Over 52 Senior NNPC Staff Affected in Fresh Redeployment

.Oil rebounds from three-week low

Emmanuel Addeh

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has continued its ongoing major reshuffle of key managerial positions in the national oil company, a move that has affected at least 52 officials in the latest list sighted by THISDAY yesterday.

On Monday night, the corporation announced the redeployment of Mr. Billy Okoye, who has now been appointed the new Group Executive Director, Ventures & Business Development as well as Mrs. Aisha Ahmadu-Katagum, who was promoted to the position of Group Executive Director, Corporate Services.

In addition, a former Chief Operating Officer, Business and Ventures Development, Mr. Adeyemi Adetunji, became the new Group Executive Director, Downstream, while a former Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed, was selected the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power.

The repositioning also saw the disengagement of Mr. Yusuf Usman, formerly Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, while Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, will take over from Dr Kennie Obateru as the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation.

But in the new list, the General Manager, Planning, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Marcel Ogbonna has now been promoted as the new Managing Director, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), while erstwhile General Manager, Financial Reporting, Ayuba Ashu, has been moved to Accounts as the new Group General Manager.

Former GM, Finance, Ibrahim Sanda, in the latest internal movement, is now the GGM, Finance; Opusunju Jestus, GM, Methods and Procedures, has been moved to NNPC Pensions as MD, while Yahaya Hamza, former General Manager in the Human Resources Department, is now MD NNPC Properties.

Executive Director, Power Investment, Lawal Jibrin , has been moved to the Renewable Energy Department as GGM, while Yunusa Jibril, formerly GM services at NAPIMS, has been transferred to the Human Resources Department as GGM.

Ezeala Chizom moves to Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) as MD; Sophia Apunegbe ex-GM Contracts and Procurement is now GGM, Supply Chain Management and Talson Nungdang, formerly of Greenfield Refineries and Petrochemicals has been moved up as the GGM.

Ali Zara is new MD, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), moving from NAPIMS; Silas Chimmy, ex-Manager Technical Learning, is now GM, Commercial and Business Development, Cyprian Uchenna moves to Construction as GM, while Mijinyawa Muhammad, is new ED, Finance and Accounts at the NPDC.

Zakariya Bitrus is new GM, Gas Development; Kabo Mohammed is now GM, Services, NAPIMS, Kigo Abubakar is new ED, Services , National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO), while Igbokwe Emmanuel moves to Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) as GM.

Furthermore, Ayobami-Ojo Olayemi is new GM External Relations,Douglas Biobele moves to Internal Relations as GM, even as Kodjo-Soroh Valentina moves as GM, Finance from his former position as Manager, Treasury, NPDC.

Abdullahi Isiyaku is new MD, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Awoyomi Olugbenleke is new MD, NETCO and Sambo Mansur moves to Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited (NPSC) also as MD.

Meanwhile, oil rebounded from a three-week low yesterday on expectations that the global economic recovery will withstand the latest virus onslaught, even as it takes a toll on fuel demand.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery rose 2 per cent to $67.78 a barrel earlier on in the day after dropping 2.6 per cent, while Brent, Nigeria’s oil benchmark, for October settlement gained 1.5 per cent to hit $70.10.

Oil is recovering in concert with other commodities, after tumbling almost 4 per cent over the past two sessions as the Delta variant led to rising infections and curbs on movement, most notably in China, where crude refining is set to be scaled back and air travel has slumped.

Still, global demand is expected to hold up and tighten the market through the end of the year.

In the short-term, though, the spread of the virus through Asia, where many countries are lagging behind with vaccination rates, is inflicting a blow on fuel consumption. The pandemic’s resurgence in the U.S., particularly in states where up-take of the vaccine is low, is also sowing concern.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., the nation’s biggest refiner commonly known as Sinopec, is cutting run rates at some plants by 5 per cent 10 per cent compared with previously planned levels this month.

In the last three weeks, oil plunged to a three-week low, extending losses after the worst week since October last year, as the resurgence of Covid-19 threatened the outlook for fuel demand.

WTI for September delivery dropped to as low as 4.2 per cent to $65.41 a barrel, while Brent for October settlement lost 4 per cent to $67.88.