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Kyari Takes Over As NNPC GMD, Vows End Of Products Importation

Immediate past NNPC GMD, Dr Maikanti Baru, new NNPC GMD Mr Mele Kyari and pioneer NNPC GMD Chief Festus Marinho at the valedictory/handover session in Abuja

Mr Mele Kyari on Monday took over as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), vowing to reverse the trend of petroleum products importation in the country by rehabilitating the existing refineries and encouraging private sector investment in the refineries sub-sector.

Kyari who becomes the 19th GMD of NNPC spoke in Abuja at a veledictory session in honour of outgone GMD,  Dr Maikanti Bari,

“We must end the trend of fuel importation as an oil producing country. We will deliver on the rehabilitation of the four refineries within the life of this administration and support the private sector to build refineries. We will support the Dangote refinery to come on stream on schedule. We will transform Nigeria into a net exporter of petroleum products by 2023”, Kyari stated.

He said the age-long Federal Government’s target of raising crude oil production and reserves to 3million barrels per day and 40billion barrels respectively was possible, adding that he would galvanise the corporation to achieve it by 2023.

On transparency and accountability, Kyari stressed that he would continue to entrench the culture of accountability in the affairs of the corporation, adding  “We are going to work with the EFCC to remove every element of discretion from our processes, because discretion is one of the greatest enablers of corruption”.

Speaking further on his commitment to entrench transparency in the operations of the corporation, Kyari said every Nigerian was a stakeholder in the corporation, which implied that everyone has a right to information on how NNPC is managed.

“NNPC will not be opaque, we’ll be transparent to all so that at the end of the day everyone will be in a position to assess us and say what we have done right or wrong,” he said.

The GMD who barred members of his family from accepting gifts on his behalf said he would continue the automation of the petroleum products sale process so that marketers can buy products online.

“We will do this job with integrity, we’ll never put personal interest above that of the nation or the corporation”, he said, adding that he was conscious of the fact that he would ultimately be accountable to God on every of his actions.

He expressed gratitude to Dr. Baru for the role he played in his appointment, saying that the best way to honour him would be to perform so well and deliver on the job so that Baru could look back and say: “I did the right thing”.

Speaking earlier on his tenure as GMD, Dr. Baru said he did his best to put the corporation on the path of sustainable growth.

He acknowledged the roles played by each of the six Chief Operating Officers and Chief Financial Officer who made up his top management team in the success of his management.

He urged the new GMD and his management team to focus on staff development, enhance transparency, improve on delivery of energy security to Nigerians, and do everything to step up crude oil and gas production.

Dr. Baru who was elated at the honour of being the only GMD since the inception of the corporation in 1977 to leave office upon attainment of the statutory retirement age and for whom a valedictory session was held, expressed appreciation to staff of the corporation for their cooperation, urging them to extend same to the new management.

In a goodwill message, the pioneer Group Managing Director of NNPC, Chief Festus Marinho, commended Baru’s leadership, saying the valedictory session symbolized the fulfilment of the dream of a seamless and peaceful transition which he and the founding fathers of the NNPC, conceived for the corporation.

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