The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said the recent staff redeployments in the corporation was a normal exercise to fill vacancies ahead of the retirement of some management staff.

NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, stated this in a release on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Ughamadu said the exercise involved the retirement of 11 senior management staff and redeployment of 19 others.
He said such replacements were always effected before the final exit of the concerned staff.

Mr Ughamadu said all 30 senior staff were affected by both the statutory retirements and redeployment.

He said those on statutory retirement will leave between May 1 and July 31.

The affected staff include the General Manager, Chad Basin, Aniya Francis Umaru, who retired on May 6 (North East); Managing Director, Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company, Solomon Ladenegan (South-west), who retired on May 13, and the Group General Manager, NNPC Leadership Academy, Musa Sulyman Gimba (North-east), who retired on May 14.

Others the General Manager, Human Resources & Administrative Services, Duke Oil, Umma Ayuba Musa (North-west), who retired on May 19; General Manager, Support Services, Nigerian Gas Company, Emmanuel–Ate Mariagoretti Ndidi,(South-south), will retire on May 30.

Also affected are the Executive Director, Operations, Tsavnande Thaddeaus Atighir (North-central); the General Manager, Upstream/Technical Assistant to GMD, Okor Ovieghara (South-south); Managing Director, NGMC, Barau Mohammed Kabir (North-west); the General Manager Nigeria LNG, Dawaki Salihi Abubakar (North-west); the Executive Director, ETSD, NPDC, Ibrahim Aminu Bagudu (North-west), and the Managing Director, NPDC, Yusuf Shimingah Matashi, who are scheduled to retire on July 17.

Mr. Ughamadu named the 19 staff deployed to take over from their retiring colleagues to include Anas Mustapha Mohammed, Usman Faruk, Ali Muhammed Sarki, Osarolube Ezekiel, Ihya Aondoaver Mson, Isah Abubakar Lapal, Umar Hamza Ado, Garba Adamu Kaita, Ossai Uche, Usman Umar, Ehizoje Tunde Ighodaro, Ahmed Mohammed Abdulkabir and Lere Isa Aliyu.

Others are Richard-Obioha Maryrose Nkemegina, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Sarafa Ayobami, Usman Yusuf, Sambo Mansur Sadiq and Buggu Louis Tizhe.

According to the NNPC spokesperson, the movement of the officials was usual for the Corporation to obtain necessary approvals on replacements of retiring staff ahead of schedule.

He said this was the case with the recent exercise that will take effect when the retiring staff depart at various times within the period.

Mr Ughamadu said the exercise was effected to ensure uninterrupted operations of the Corporation in achieving its mandate.

“The extant corporate guidelines were strictly followed in the process. Members of the public should disregard the insinuation that some staff of the Corporation were relieved of their duties. The deployments were expected and aimed at sustaining the system.”