It can no longer be glossed over that many things in Nigeria beg the question. While the list of things here can be mind-blowing, this report will only consider such scenarios where either government officials or captains of national corporations score own goals by violating aspects of state policies they ought to be the chief custodians of.
At a time when chieftains of various sectors ought to set the pace in promoting the Nigerian Content Policy, they turn out the most disappointing violators without penalties.
Little wonder the ship of Nigeria's exploits keeps sailing at a less-than-average velocity.
It is in light of the above that the appointment of Jean-Marc Cordier as the head of the oil trading arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has raised diverse concerns among industry experts and operators.
Cordier would head NNPC Trading Ltd, a subsidiary of NNPCL, and this was announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba-Deen Muhammad.
The announcement, however, triggered resentments among analysts and operators on Monday, though other experts found nothing wrong with the development.
Energy expert and Chief Executive Officer, Sage Consulting, Bode Fadipe, said, “It is of concern to most Nigerians that at this time of our life, we are still having a foreigner in such a strategic business enterprise in this country.
“The question many people will ask is, don’t we have Nigerians who can manage that office?
“Are the expatriates now investors in the business or is it a joint venture that allows a foreigner to hold that kind of position?
“Has NNPC Ltd sold its shares to the public? To the best of my knowledge, it is still the Nigerian government that owns the shares in NNPCL.
“The government still owns it, so when did it start appointing foreigners to such a level?”
Fadipe said this was the first time he would see such an appointment in the national oil company, describing the development as abnormal.
“I think it is an anomaly. I don’t know what would have informed that kind of position, but I think it is a situation that calls for further interrogation,” the energy analyst stated.
But on his part, a legal consultant and energy law advisor, Prof. Yemi Oke, argued that under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, NNPCL should be a going concern, as there were requirements under the law for appointments.
“There are other Nigerian companies that have expatriates as employees, all they need is to comply with the expatriate quota and show that there’s no local manpower skilled enough to man that particular office due to the technical nature of the position,” he stated.
However, an impeccable source at the national oil firm said that most commercially viable subsidiaries of NNPCL would be managed by expatriates, going forward.
“I was reliably told that for most subsidiaries or units that are commercially viable, the operations would be managed by expatriates, with those in the M3 category now limited to administrative schedules.
“This is the same with NNPC Retails (the filling station's arm), NETCO (National Engineering and Technical Company), NPDC (Nigeria Upstream Development Company), etc,” the source, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of authorization, stated.
The source also added, “If the expatriates are on M3 NNPC grade (Executive Vice President is M2, Group Chief Executive Officer is M1), would that not lead to rivalry and conflict, at the expense of the company’s man-hours?”
When asked what then could be the reasons for appointing expatriates if the units to be headed by them were currently commercially viable under the management of indigenes, the source replied, “Perhaps, it is to instil higher productivity, improved net profit, better efficiency, and operational effectiveness.”
NNPCL, in its statement, said Cordier, served as a former Vice President of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, adding that his appointment was in furtherance of the ongoing repositioning of the company for improved growth, better performance, and service delivery.
The statement reads in part, “A renowned international oil trader, Cordier, a French/Swiss national, holds a Master's degree in Corporate Finance with Distinction from Paris 9 University.
“He comes into the role with a rich background spanning over 30 years in physical oil, oil derivatives, and risk management, with significant experience in reorganizing and creating a trading business.”
Also commenting on the development, the President, of Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, said NNPCL should endeavour to promote the local content drive of the Federal Government.
“Does it mean that there are no competent Nigerians who could do the same job, with respect to the promotion of local content?
“NNCPL is a national company and is mandated to refine petroleum products.
“So for it to now go out to look for a foreigner shows that it is taking the wrong direction.
“Was it established solely as an oil marketing company? I think that move is a misalignment on this part,” he stated.
When either government officials or those of its parastatals publicly display unpatriotic decisions and choices, there can be no moral justice for punishing other examples.
There is a gazetted Nigerian Content Policy in place in Nigeria geared toward promoting local capacity building.
Why is this policy being handled with lip service?
Elsewhere in the world, Nigerian tacticians in Diaspora are frequently celebrated for turning things around.
However, back home, the often touted, lame-duck excuse of not having capable local hands is played up all the time to the detriment of the country's development.
As a nation, Nigeria needs to demonstrate that it truly is determined to occupy a pride of place in the committee of other nations, especially the third-world nations.
0 Comment(s)
SPONSORED
HEADLINE
TRENDING