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The management of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Tuesday,
debunked media reports that the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt
Refining Company (PHRC), Bashir Abdullahi, Turai Yar’Adua’s brother,
was sacked from the services of the Corporation in the wake of the
changes announced on Monday by the Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Diezani Alison- Madueke.

The NNPC, through a
statement signed by Levi Ajuonuma, its group general manager in charge
of Public Affairs, said “the former MD of PHRC is on a six months
Exploration and Production Attachment programme with Shell Petroleum,
which would see him traverse seven countries across the world where
Shell has its E&P Platforms.”

A national newspaper had, on Tuesday, reported in one of its lead stories that ‘Turai’s brother sacked in NNPC changes.’

Mr. Ajuonuma said
the report amounts to “deliberate mischief and celebration of
ignorance. The fact is that Mr. Abdullahi is one of the most
experienced chemical engineers on the pay roll of the Corporation. And
in recognition of this, the NNPC top management nominated him to attend
the six months SPDC facilitated E&P exposure course, beginning from
February 2010,” he said.

He added that
during the period, the former PHRC MD will tour Shell E&P operation
platforms in the Hague, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Houston, Canada,
Singapore, Qatar and Brunei.

The NNPC
spokesperson said that the essence of the training is to prepare Mr.
Abdullahi for higher responsibilities. “The course outline covers
intensive training in such areas like Economics, Strategic Planning,
Traditional E&P Business, Emerging Technologies, which also
includes Deep Water, Tar sands and Gas to Liquid,” he said.

The change

The NNPC further
said that Anthony Ogbuigwe, who was on Monday confirmed as the
substantive managing director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, has been
acting in place of Mr. Abdullahi since February 2010.

Ms. Alison-Madueke,
speaking at the State House, Abuja on Monday, announced a redeployment
exercise that cuts across the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR),
the NNPC, and some of its subsidiary companies.

She said the
changes and personnel movements are with a view to “greater efficiency
in line with the aspiration of the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan,
for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.”