Outgoing Group Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, has indicated interest in serving the country more if offered the opportunity.
Baru also insisted that achievements recorded by the national oil corporation in the last three years under his watch as GMD were laudable.
The GMD, who was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) last Thursday attributed his successes to his engineering background.
In a statement yesterday, he expressed confidence that the incoming GMD, Mele Kolo Kyari, who was appointed by the Federal Government on Thursday alongside seven other top officials would deliver.
Baru, who would retire from the services of the NNPC with effect from July 7, 2019, expressed gratitude to God for seeing him through a glorious career at the Corporation, noting that even after retirement he would be willing to do more if called upon to serve the country.
He listed his achievements to include maintaining production levels well above two million barrels per day; increasing crude oil production by NNPC flagship Upstream Company, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC); ensuring a boost in gas production and saving enormous financial resources through the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme adopted for products import.
Others include ridding government of huge financial commitments on cash-call commitment by developing workable alternative funding arrangements; devising sustainable teamwork between the oil and gas industry and the numerous host communities in the Niger Delta to curb security challenges that had dipped crude oil production some years back; and instituting a regime of transparent contracting/bidding processes in all major projects.
Baru, who described Kyari’s appointment as well as those of the new Chief Operating Officers as well-deserved, expressed optimism that the new GMD and his team would deliver on their respective mandates in line with the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the dreams of the Corporation’s founding fathers.
