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President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday announced a change in the top hierarchy of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) management, with the
appointment of Austin Oniwon as the new Group Managing Director (GMD).

Mr. Oniwon replaces Shehu Ladan, who was appointed barely one and a half months ago to succeed Mohammed Barkindo.

Until his appointment, Mr. Oniwon was the Group Executive Director (Refineries & Petrochemicals) of the corporation.

A statement signed
by Ima Niboro, the President’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity,
did not give any reason for Mr. Ladan’s removal. According to Mr.
Niboro, the President has also directed Bayo Aganga, the Finance
Minister, to engage the services of a world-class auditing firm to
carry out a comprehensive audit of NNPC accounts.

Born on April 1, 1951, Oniwon is an indigene of Okene, in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria.

The new GMD
commenced his working career with the NNPC in 1977, and rose to the
position of Head, Planning of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals
Company in 1987. Between 1988 and 1991, he was the Technical Assistant
to the GED (Downstream) and later Head, Engineering and Technical
Services Department (ETSD) of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals
Company, from 1991 to 1992. That same year, Mr. Oniwon was made Head,
New Business Development, Corporate Planning and Development Division,
a post he held until his appointment as Head, ETSD, at the Port
Harcourt Refinery (1993-1999).

A fellow of the
Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, between 1999 and 2000, Mr.
Oniwon was General Manager, Information System, Engineering and
Technology Directorate, before moving on to function as Senior
Technical Assistant to the GMD and General Manager, Information Systems
Department at the GMD’s office.

He was also
Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company
(PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC, before moving on to the Eleme
Petrochemicals Company Limited as Managing Director in 2003, where he
served till 2009 when he was appointed Group Executive Director.

Holder of the
Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Chemistry from the Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, he also holds a Diploma in Business Management from
Harvard University, USA, and Diploma Petroleum Management from Oxford
University, United Kingdom.

In a related
development, the President announced the appointment of Mike
Oghiadomhe, as his new Chief of Staff, while Hassan Tukur was named
Principal Secretary to the President. Mr. Tukur replaces David Edevbie.

Until his
appointment, Oniwon was the Group Executive Director (GED), Refining
and Petro-chemicals, and also the most senior GED.