SAN FRANCISCO, August 07, (THEWILL) – The Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, one of the nominees for elevation to the rank of Group Executive Director (GED), has been redeployed courtesy of a purported “security report”, THEWILL can authoritatively report.
The Group General Manager of the NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, had slated Komolafe as well as three other Group General Managers (GGMs) for elevation as GEDs, as first reported by THEWILL on Wednesday.
Mr. Komolafe, who would have been officially unveiled as GED, Commercial and Investment, has now been redeployed as the Group General Manager, Special Duties, a Friday statement by Mr. Ohi Alegbe, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, said.
According to the statement, the most senior General Manager in the Crude Oil Marketing Division, Mr. Musa Yola Usman, has been directed to function as Group General Manager in acting capacity.
Though details of the purported “security report” were not disclosed to our source, authoritative government sources familiar with the development told THEWILL that the new GMD, a distinguished attorney by training, insisted on following due process in determining the veracity of contents in the report.
“The new GMD had insisted on due process before further action is taken on the matter,” the sources said.
NNPC Deplores News Reports Linking Reassignment To Allegations of Fraud
The NNPC has said Mr. Komolafe’s reassignment is part of the ongoing reorganization of the corporation denouncing some media reports attributing the deployment to allegations of fraud, describing such reports as mischievous and unprofessional.
In a separate statement by Alegbe, the NNPC explained that the deployment of Komolafe is part of the ongoing reorganization that commenced earlier in the week with the appointment of a new Group Managing Director and retirement of eight Group Executive Directors and has nothing to do with any allegation of financial malfeasance.
It urged members of the public to discountenance such reports and called on journalists to adhere to the ethics of their profession and avoid unnecessary speculation.
Meanwhile, THEWILL checks at the NNPC revealed that the new GEDs would be announced early next week with Dr. M.K. Baru emerging as GED, Refining and Engineering; Denis Nnamdi as GED, Exploration and Production, and Mr. Isiaka AbdulRazak as GED, Finance.
A competent replacement is currently being considered as GED, Commercial and Investment, authoritative sources at the corporation told THEWILL.
