President Goodluck Jonathan may have sacked the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abiye Membere, just as he approved the appointment four new GEDs.
A statement by the Presidential Adviser on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, states that “President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed new Group Executive Directors for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to fill critical vacancies which currently exist in the Corporation”.
Prompt News Online however, gathered that the position of Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production was never vacant.
Mr Abiye Membere, we learnt as at Wednesday morning was in office as the substantive GED (E&P), suggesting that he may have been sacked.
The new appointees and their portfolios are as follows: Mr. Ian Gregory Udoh – Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals, Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo – Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ms. Aisha Mata Abdurrahman – Group Executive Director, Business Development, Mr. Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba -Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical and Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha -Acting Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production
Abati’s statement reads further, “Mr. Ian Gregory Udoh, is a native of Akwa Ibom State and has been the Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (PHRC) since November 2012. He has considerable experience of managing the nation’s refineries having previously held the position of Executive Director, Operations at both the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (KRPC) and the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. In addition, Mr. Udoh has served as a General Manager in the Refining and Petrochemicals Directorate of NNPC.
“Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo is currently the Group General Manager, in charge of the NNPC’s Human Resources Division. He was previously General Manager, Human Resources, Brass LNG. He hails from Bayelsa state.
“Ms. Aisha Mata Abdurrahman is a native of Kogi State and has been the Managing Director of Nikorma, NNPC’s shipping subsidiary, since March 2011. Ms. Abdurrahman has also served as Managing Director of Hyson, an NNPC trading subsidiary, and as Executive Director (Services) of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
“Mr. Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba, a Chemical Engineer, is currently the Group General Manager, Engineering in the NNPC’s Engineering and Technology Directorate, and hails from Ogun State. He has also served as General Manager (New Business), General Manager (Gas Development), and Group General Manager, Greenfield Refineries. In 2010, Mr. Ibirogba became the first African to be elected to the Board of Directors of the World LP Gas Association.
“Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha who replaces Mr. Abiye H. Membere as Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, has been the Managing Director of Integrated Data Services Ltd (IDSL) since 2005. He is an indigene of Borno State and has served the Corporation diligently, over the years, in various capacities, in the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry.
“All the appointments are with immediate effect”.
