A legal practitioner and senior advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja challenging the exclusion of the South East geo-political zone in appointment to the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation of Nigeria (NNPC).
Agbakoba in a statement today alleged that the appointment made by the Federal Government of Nigeria, contravenes the provisions of S.14 of the Constitution and also the Federal Character Commission, Act and the provisions of Sections 42 of the Constitution of Nigeria that prohibits discrimination of any of Nigeria’s ethnic groups such as, in this case, the South East.
The court has been requested to declare the lopsided appointments of Board members of the South East Zone, unconstitutional, null and void. No date has been fixed to hear the suit.
It would be recalled that in August, fifty five management staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC were affected in a massive reshuffle ordered by Group managing director, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
Under the new arrangement, Roland Ewubare, formerly managing director of the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) moves to the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) as the new group general manager while Diepriye Tariah, former group general manager and senior technical assistant to the NNPC group general manager takes over from Ewubare as managing director of IDSL.
Malami Shehu, executive director operations, of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) was appointed managing director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) while Adewale Ladenegan, former managing director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) was moved to KRPC to assume duty as managing director.
Similarly, Muhammed Abah, until recently, the executive director operations of WRPC succeeds Ladenegan as managing director of Warri Refinery.
With the retirement of Alhaji Farouk Ahmed as the managing director of the Nigerian Products Marketing Company, (NPMC), Umar Ajiya, former group general manager in charge of Corporate Planning and Strategy, (CP&S) now assumes duty as managing director of NPMC while Bala Wunti, former, general manager, downstream, takes charge as group general manager CP&S.
Other changes include: Usman Yusuf who takes over as GGM/STA to the group managing director, Adeyemi Adetunji confirmed as managing director NNPC Retail alongside Dr. Bola Afolabi who now functions as group general manager in charge of research and development division of the NNPC.
Also on the list is Mrs. Ahmadu-Katagum appointed group general manager (shipping) in the downstream autonomous business unit while Kallamu Abdullahi takes over as the group general manager in charge of the renewable energy division in the downstream.
Dr. Shaibu Musa was promoted managing director of the NNPC medical services limited while Ibrahim Birma is the new group general manager in charge of the NNPC’s audit division now renamed governance, risk and compliance division.
