ABUJA – Notwithstanding the clandestine move by those who are opposed to the ongoing sanitization of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, has been enjoined to sustain it for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
Since his assumption of office, Baru has undertaken far reaching measures designed to sanitize the Corporation by instilling discipline, ensuring probity and accountability and zero tolerance to corruption among others.
His vision of empowering the NNPC organs, particularly the NNPC retail, PPMC and Trading was aimed at ensuring that the Corporation returns to the path of profitability and excellence in service delivery.
However, the NNPC boss appears to be stepping on some powerful toes with the ongoing reform hence, the move by those who prefer to maintain the status quo to petition the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to call Baru to order.
Speaking on the clandestine move to frustrate the GMD, a major player in the oil and gas industry posited that those who are against change have miscalculated by thinking that the Acting President who is a man of integrity and committed to the Change Agenda will halt the transformation of the NNPC.
“NNPC boss was given express directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to cleanse NNPC and its subsidiaries of inefficiency and corrupt practices.
“And judging from his action so far, it is very clear that Baru is determined to carry out that mandate to the letter,” a source at the NNPC Towers said.
Speaking in the same vein, an expert familiar with the development in the oil and gas sector opined that any initiative designed to transform NNPC for the better will be met by opposition from the conservative segment of the industry who stand to benefit from the rot and decay in the system.
In the NNPC of today, massive retail marketing is taking place through the expansion and empowerment of the Corporation’s retail company.
Despite the enormous challenges, NNPC has for long been the sole importer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Since September 2016, its trading arm, particularly Duke Oil, has been keeping the country wet with products, particularly Jet A1 (Aviation Fuel), and Automated Gas Oil (AGO-Kerosene) and these Duke will continue to do in order to sustain the momentum.
Baru has mandated Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and Marine Division to put a robust mechanism in place to ensure steady and uninterrupted distribution of the products. It is a marching order to which every organ of NNPC must comply with as directed by the NNPC boss.
It is the effective and transparent manner by which the Corporation now trades Naphtha and fuel oil that the conservative elements who were benefiting from the free allocation in the past are determined to break the system and revert to the old ways of doing business.
It is for this reason that many of these individuals and companies are writing petitions and even in some instance asking for the redeployment of the managing director of NNPC retail, PPMC and Duke Oil.
But, major industry players who align with the Change Agenda of the Muhammadu Buhari administration posit that the success so far recorded in the NNPC transformation program should be sustained, calling on the GMD, Dr. Maikanti Baru, to forge ahead.
