I’m willing to do more for Nigeria – Outgoing NNPC boss

The outgoing Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, says he is willing and ready to do more if given the opportunity to serve the country.

Baru said this while speaking to journalists on the sideline of the 2019 Annual Lecture, Life Achievement Awards and Induction of New Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, on Thursday in Lagos.

According to him, service to Nigeria is a call to everyone, which must be obeyed.

Speaking on his post-retirement plans as he retires on July 7, Baru said he was ever ready to serve Nigeria again if such opportunity arose.

“Service to Nigeria is everybody’s call. Every Nigerian should be willing to serve the country when called upon to do so.

“The system that has been put in place is for a public servant to retire when he is 60 years or after 35 years in service.

“However, if it is the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari to invite you to do more and of course you should look at it and you should do more.

“The President graciously accepted my statutory retirement but if he says I should come and do more, I’m willing to serve,” he said.

It was reported that Baru would clock 60 years and retire from active service on July 7.

Baru was born on July 7, 1959 and hailed from Jama’are in Bauchi State, Northeast Nigeria, but grew up in Jos, Plateau.

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with a first class honours. He also holds a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering. Until his appointment as the NNPC boss, he was the Special Adviser (Upstream) to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday confirmed the appointment of the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD) of the NNPC, Mr Mele Kolo Kyari, as the new Group Managing Director of the corporation.

Kyari from Borno, comes to the job as the 19th GMD of the NNPC with a rich profile of professional and service credentials.

A geologist, Mr Kyari was known in the oil industry as a crude oil marketer with outfield pedigree in petroleum economics and crude oil and gas trading.

With over 27 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, his tour of duty traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry.