Group Says Nnpc Reorganization Will Eliminate Bottlenecks, Accuses Ex-geds Of Sabotage
SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, (THEWILL) – A group, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) on Friday accused some Group Executive Directors (GEDs) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) whose official ranks were converted to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the newly restructured seven independent companies of the corporation of trying to sabotage the efforts of the Minister for State Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu in his bid to reposition the corporation.
The Niger Delta oil monitoring group said that the reorganization of the state oil company will eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks as well as raid the corporation of alleged sharp practices engaged in by some of top ranking officers of the corporation.
In a statement made available to THEWILL on Friday, the group while commending Kachikwu for the feat said that it was a positive initiative that would further deepen President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war as all loopholes in the corporation would be block with the reorganization exercise.
Signed by its President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Stanley Mukoro; the statement blamed the former Group Executive Directors (GEDs) of the corporation for the incessant industrial action by oil workers and fuel scarcity alleging that some of them were saboteurs within the corporation.
“We are also in full support of the conversion of the Group Executive Directors (GEDs) by the Minister to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and their redeployment to the various business components,” the group said.
The statement continued: “The former GEDs never helped the Corporation as they were behind the frequent fuel scarcity in the country and strikes by oil workers. Since the former GEDs have so much money, they used their money to frustrate all plans of the Federal Government to make NNPC a better place.
“All moves made in the past to reposition NNPC for profitability were thwarted by the former GEDs. They never helped the Corporation as they connived with oil majors to create artificial fuel scarcity in the country. They also sponsored strikes by oil workers,” the group alleged.
“But now Nigerians are going to reap the benefits of the reorganization of the NNPC very soon.”
NDIMRC however commended National Assembly members for throwing their weight behind the reorganization exercise at the corporation, stressing that the federal lawmakers have shown patriotism and statesmanship by giving the Minister the necessary backing.
“The reorganization of the NNPC as rightly stated by Dr Ibe Kachikwu will go a long way in eliminating bureaucracy in the operations of the Corporation and as it is now, each of the constituent units in the restructuring will be profit driven,” it stated.
While allaying fears of possible job cut in the corporation, the group said “There shouldn’t be any fear of job loss among the staff of the Corporation and so oil workers should not allow themselves to be used by some elements, especially the former GEDs to go on strike over the restructuring being carried out by the minister.”
“The minister is not ready to sack any worker as a result of the reorganization exercise which is to betterment of all and the Nigerian state and so the strike by the oil workers is uncalled for the first place.
“The former GED for Explorations and Productions who in the past announced himself as the GMD of the NNPC and other GEDs were behind the call off strike action because they misconstrued the plans of the Minister thinking they were leaving NNPC entirely.
“As it is now, they still have to move because we are in a new era where things are done right, where the Buhari’s government wants to do everything possible to reposition the Corporation. It should be made clear therefore that the former GEDs who are currently sponsoring various groups to kick against the restructuring exercise to cause a chaotic situation in the country are not going to be sacked by the Minister but to be moved from their positions to head this newly created units.
“The Dr. Kachikwu that we know is not a failure and the glory of God is upon him. He is God fearing and we should all support him as he wants nothing but the best for the Oil and Gas sector in the country”.
NDIMRC further used the statement to appeal to the Minister to look into the cases of NNPC workers he retired prematurely upon resumption of office as the GMD of the Corporation.
“We want to implore the Minister to look into the cases of those he retired prematurely on resumption as GMD of NNPC. Those that have clean records should be recalled by the Minister,” the statement concluded.
Story by Joe Ogbodu