There has been a massive reorganisation of the top management staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, as about 50 senior personnel of the oil firm and its subsidiaries have either been removed or replaced.

It was learnt that the Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Yusuf Matashi, was removed and replaced by Usman Yusuf, the Senior Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director, in the latest reorganisation.

Impeccable sources at the corporation told our correspondent that other subsidiaries and arms of the corporation that were affected include the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company, which is the marketing arm of the Nigerian Gas Company; Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company; and the Liquified Natural Gas arm of the group.
“Some persons were promoted and others were removed. The reorganisation affected 50 senior management staff members in all. The Managing Director of NPDC, Yusuf Matashi, was removed and he was replaced by Yusuf Usman, the Senior Technical Assistant to the GMD,” one of the sources stated.
The source added, “There are many others, about 49 of them, but the removal of the NPDC boss is the prominent one in this latest reorganisation exercise.”
Another source stated that the development had led to side talks among workers at the corporation, as some employees of the firm had expressed displeasure with the latest move.
“Aside from the NPDC, the Nigeria Gas Marketing Company in Warri was affected. A lot of persons at the Liquified Natural Gas arm of the corporation in the corporate headquarters were also affected in the reorganisation. The Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company was also affected,” the source stated.
The source noted that some persons had argued that the reorganisation was one-sided and did not show fairness to the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, as a greater number of appointees were from one region.
When contacted on the matter, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, declined to make any comment.
In 2017, the corporation witnessed a major shake-up which affected 55 top executives of the oil firm.

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On August 30, 2017, The PUNCH reported that the NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, stated then that the appointments would not only help to position the corporation for challenges ahead but would help fill the gaps created by statutory retirement of some officers.
It was observed that Usman, who is now appointed the new boss of the NPDC, was named as the STA to Baru in the 2017 reorganisation exercise at the corporation.

Sources at the oil firm confirmed to our correspondent that details of the reorganisation would be made public in due course.