Libelous Campaign Against NNPCL Won’t Stand -By Adewole Kehinde

“The most mischievous liars are those who keep sliding on the verge of truth.” ~ Augustus William Hare

I came across a virile message on WhatsApp, even though it has been circulating for years, those mischievous elements behind it have decided to refine it so as to mislead Nigerians once again.

Although fake news has always existed, its dissemination has increased greatly in recent years, with main topics related to politics.

Below is the mischievous post credited to one Adeyanju “The NNPC or Northern Nigeria Petroleum Company? The all-Muslim top 20 executives in NNPC make Nigeria look like a joke. President Tinubu must restructure the rotten & bigoted NNPC of Buhari.

1. Mele Kyari (GMD);
2. Umar Ajiya (Chief Finance Officer/Finance and Accounts);
3. Yusuf Usman (Chief Operating Officer);
4. Farouk Garba Sa’id (Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services);
5. Mustapha Yakubu (Chief Operating Officer, Refining and Petrochemicals);
6. Hadiza Coomassie (Corporate Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Corporation);
7. Omar Ibrahim (Group General Manager, International Energy Relations);
8. Kallamu Abdullahi (GGM Renewable Energy);
9. Ibrahim Birma (GGM Governance Risk and Compliance);
10. Bala Wunti (GGM NAPIMS);
11. Inuwa Waya (MD NNPC Shipping);
12. Musa Lawan (MD Pipelines And Product Marketing);
13. Mansur Sambo (MD Nigeria Petroleum Development Company);
14. Lawal Sade (MD Duke Oil/NNPC Trading Company);
15. Malami Shehu (MD Port Harcourt Refining Company);
16. Muhammed Abah (MD Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company);
17. Abdulkadir Ahmed (MD Nigeria Gas Marketing Company);
18. Salihu Jamari (MD Nigeria Gas and Power Investment Company Limited);
19. Mohammed Zango (MD NNPC Medical Services);
20. Sarki Auwalu (Director, Department of Petroleum Resources). Only three top positions were allotted to the entire Southern Nigeria. ~Adeyanju”

To correct this mischievous post, I will reproduce a press release dated January 5, 2022 by the Former Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) Femi Adesina, “President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the Board and Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in accordance with the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

“Chairman of the Board is Senator Margret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Mele Kolo Kyari, Chief Executive Officer, and Umar I. Ajiya, Chief Financial Officer.

“Other Board Members are; Dr. Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs. Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Engr. Henry Obih (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South-South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).

“The appointments take effect from the date of the incorporation of the NNPC Limited.

“Also appointed are Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. They are: Dr Nuhu Habib (Kano), Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Dr Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu (Imo), Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Capt. Tonlagha Roland John (Delta), Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, and Jide Adeola (Kogi), Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration.

Earlier appointed are the Board Chairman, CEO, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, and Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts.

“New appointees at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are Francis Alabo Ogaree (Rivers), Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing, Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa), Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment, and Community, Mansur Kuliya (Kano), Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto), Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration, and Dr. Zainab Gobir (Kwara), Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning.

“They join the Board Chairman, Executive Director, Downstream Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, the CEO, and Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, who had earlier been appointed.

“For Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, new Council Members are; Mr. Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom), Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Engr. Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).

“It will be recalled that President Buhari had last September written the Senate on the administrative structure amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act, which included the appointment of Non-Executive Board Members, removal of the Ministries of Petroleum and Finance from the Board of the two new institutions, and appointment of Executive Directors.

The press release signed by the Former Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) Femi Adesina has shown that all appointments into the NNPC Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority cut across the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria against the mischievous viral message credited to one Adeyanju.

In a world where trust in institutions and the media is declining, people tend to trust those who they identify as being like themselves more than professional and governmental sources.

It is high time we fact-check most viral “news” on social media before circulating as the Cybercrime Act 2015 is very effective. The Act prohibits cybersquatting and anyone convicted of these faces at least 2 years’ imprisonment, and/or a minimum N5 million fine. The distribution of racially or ethnically prejudicial or violent material through a computer system or network is prohibited.

Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached via 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com