Our refineries will now make profits — NNPC

 The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
yesterday, stated that its ongoing restructuring was
designed to reposition its operations and refineries
to profit-making ventures.
The NNPC, in a statement issued after an interactive
session with the top management of the Corporation
in Abuja, disclosed that it is poised to ensure that all
its refineries are run efficiently and profitably to
meet the energy needs of the country.
Speaking at the forum, Group Managing Director of
the NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, stated that the
days when the Corporation was perceived as a civil
service organization instead of a Corporation were
over.
According to him, the Corporate Service Unit and all
the Strategic Business Units of the NNPC would
henceforth be run as profit centers.
To this end, Kachikwu solicited the support of the
management of the NNPC and its subsidiaries in
closing the skills gap and in turning the fortunes of
the Corporation around.
He stated that efforts are in top gear to create a
conducive working environment for members of
staff, adding that for the NNPC to transform into a
profit center like its peers in other climes, the
morale of the work force must be high.
He urged the management to provide leadership by
example to the workforce while adding that
sectionalism, tribalism and any form of non-
transparent transactions must be completely
stamped out of the NNPC.
He also appealed to members of staff to act as
change agents, assuring them that in the next 60 days
some of the strategic targets would be translated into
concrete milestones to the appreciation of all
Nigerians.
Commenting on claims that it was pursuing an ethnic
agenda, the NNPC disclosed that its recent
appointments and retirement were done with the
approval of President Muhammadu Buhari and in
compliance with federal character principles.
It said, “The NNPC has decried attempts by a section
of the media to politicise the recent appointments
and retirements in the Corporation by imputing
ethnic colouration to the exercise.
“The appointments were made with the express
approval of President Muhammadu Buhari and in
compliance with extant laws regarding federal
character, while the retirement exercise affected all
those who were to retire between now and 2016
without any regard to ethnicity or state of origin.
“The recent appointments, promotions, and
retirements are all a part of the ongoing
restructuring exercise aimed at repositioning the
Corporation into a lean, efficient, profit-driven
organization in line with international best practices
without regard to primordial sentiments.”
The NNPC, however, called on the Nigerian public to
discountenance any report aimed at denigrating the
ongoing reorganisation exercise in the Corporation.”