While the dust is yet to settle over the wasteful and scandalous jamboree tagged; “Kigali retreat” in which five private jets were chartered for the trip, Mr Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has again introduced a strange dimension into the administration of the company.
The development, already creating ripples within the oil giants, followed the secret appointments of some ladies to fill the vacancies occasioned by the exit of the immediate past Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO), Mr Femi Soneye.
Insider sources hinted that Soneye’s sudden departure was frowned at by most of the company’s top management staff who appreciated how veteran journalist stabilised the management of information in the organisation.
Forefront News gathered that Mr Ojulari, the NNPCL GCEO on assumption of duties started dismembering some departments and reducing them just to create room for some ladies he wanted to bring into the Company.
Also Ojulari, who refused to appear before the Senate committee probing an alleged missing $210 trillion as aptly captured in the company’s audited account, may have to contend with how to explain a brewing fresh scandal of about 20 million dollars hovering around the oil company, and which might be difficult for the officer involved to wriggle out of.
The new GCEO, it was gathered, deliberately balkanised the Corporate Communications department in order to engage Adaobi Oniwinde as Acting Chief Corporate Communication Officer/Spokesperson and Ms Morenike Adewunmi as the Chief Relationship and Stakeholders Officer without following laid down process.
As a result of the shoddy nature of the appointment of the two ladies, the NNPC Ltd, afraid of possible backlash from the public and discomfort over Ojulari’s action, has not been able to officially announce the appointments just as non of the two ladies have so far been able to sign any official statements on behalf of the Company.
Forefront News further gathered that the appointments of the two females considered to be close friends of Ojulari formed part of the antagonism meted on the former Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Femi Soneye in order to force him out of the company, but the American trained journalist and Public Relations expert, opted to leave quietly in the overall interest of protecting the corporate image of the NNPCL.
A dependable source in the Oil firm confided in Forefront News that Ojulari prefers having ladies as his right-hand persons given his belief that they are better in keeping and protecting his official secrets.
It was also gathered that the Presidency has not been pleased with what is considered as the forced resignation of Mr Soneye because Ojulari was advised against touching him owing to his versatile and engaging contacts needed in Public Relations needed by the NNPC Ltd at this point in time.
A top management staff of the NNPC Ltd confided in Forefront News that Ojulari merely used Soneye as the fallback guy having acted against advice not to charter five private jets to Kigali which leaked and found its way to the media space.
According to the source; “Ojulari believed even though wrongly that the former Chief Corporate Communications Officer ought to have stopped the story from getting to the media.
“However, knowing this NNPC Ltd, that is quite a difficult task to achieve because there are too many interests involved.
“You can now see how negative stories about the company have become a routine since the exit of Soneye. I think the GCEO must have realised his folly. Unfortunately, getting the mistakes and collateral damage corrected will cost the company much.”
“Already, another financial scandal involving about 20 million dollars which is hovering around the company will soon blow open and it might be difficult for the officer involved to wriggle out of it”, our usual reliable source confirmed.
