The new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr Mele Kyari was officially presented to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja by his predecessor Mr Maikanti Baru.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the presentation, Kyari said he would take the necessary steps to reposition the NNPC to achieve the objectives for which it was established.
Kyari said he would do everything humanly possible to maintain the corporation’s integrity as the country’s biggest revenue earner.
“I understand the gravity of the assignment given to me, the trust that is associated with this work and the high expectations of Mr. President for us to make the company, a global company of excellence and to deliver to the citizenry the benefits of the oil and gas industry.
“We are focussed in ensuring that we deliver this in the shortest possible time and in the most efficient way. I assure all of us that we will do this work with integrity. I will ensure that by 2023, Mr. President will look back and confirm that he has not misplaced his trust on us,” he said.
The new NNPC boss also pledged to automate the operations of the oil conglomerate to check corruption in line with the anti-corruption stance of the president.
“We are going to work with EFCC and other institutions that are involved in controlling and contending any form of corruption in our system. This is in line with Mr. President’s cardinal principle to contain corruption so that this country can benefit from its resources.
“There will be no corruption where there is no discretion. So we will automate our systems and processes so that discretion is reduced to the barest minimum. We need the help of EFCC wherever we see infractions in our systems, compromise our systems,” he said.
Also speaking, Maikanti Baru expressed confidence that the new NNPC management team led by Kyari would build on the modest achieve recorded during his tenure.
“I expect the new management of NNPC to do more than double what we have done. I am not setting a high target for them but I know this team are the jet factor fellows, that will zoom up, dive, come back and steady the corporation and make sure it becomes definitely the largest in Africa and make serious contribution to Nigeria’s economy.
“We expect where we have stabilized the supply of fuel to the economy, they will make sure they start exporting products to neighbouring countries. I am so convinced that this team will deliver.
“No matter what we did in terms of transition, they have their own programmes and vision of what they want to do. We are now the airbus pilots that are relaxing and cruising at an altitude and you cannot give them a vision of the jet fighter pilot that the NNPC requires,” he said.
