President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere, and appointed five new ones to fill existing vacancies.
Among the GEDs, the one in charge of the Exploration and Production is one of the most influential in the hierarchy of the NNPC because the department is responsible for producing the crude oil that is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the new appointees and their portfolios include: Ian Gregory Udoh, Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals; Dr. Dan Iwoene Efebo, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services; Aisha Mata Abdurrahman, Group Executive Director, Business Development.
Others are Adebayo Ibikunle Ibirogba, Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical, and Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha -Acting Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production.
Udoh, the statement said, 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,” it said
“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).
“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,” it stated
All the appointments, according to the statement, are with immediate effect.
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