[dropcap]S[/dropcap]till on the appointment of Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The man is eminently qualified to lead the corporation, a vastly experience Petroleum lawyer from Delta State who holds a First Class Degree in Law from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), and a first class from the Nigerian Law School. He holds the LLM Harvard Distinction and was best graduate in 1980 with specialisation in Energy, Petroleum Law and Investment. Mr. Kachikwu set a record with a PhD/SJD Harvard Distinction, specialising in Petroleum and Investment Law Strategy after completing his doctoral thesis in a record time; the Harvard doctorate degree is what the Americans calls Juris Doctor (JD).
Men like Kachikwu in line with global standards should actually be the President of Nigeria not Buhari, a man with an F9 in his SSCE Mathematics results, assuming the results are authentic in the first instance. We know he used a letter from his Secondary School Principal to join the Army.
American President Barack Obama just like Kachikwu attented Harvard and holds a Juris Doctor (JD) magna cum laude. Not to mention the British Prime Minister David Cameron who holds a First Class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.
These are men most suited for global leadership and not the one we have that can’t even assemble a team of Ministers despite been proclaim President elect since 1st April, 2015.
Besides, the man had 16 years to prepare for just one single job yet he can’t hit the ground running.
Now back to the appointment in NNPC, there’s nothing to applaud Buhari about. Yes, he has put a round peg in a round hole quite alright but doing just that is absolutely a no-brainer.
For those who erroneously think Southerners should celebrate President Buhari’s appointment of a man from Delta State as GMD of NNPC should think again.
All the past six (6) GMDs of NNPC has been Northerners with former President Goodluck Jonathan appointing four (4) Northerners in a row while Yar’Adua appointed two (2) Northerners. In the spirit of equity and fairness it will have been right a Northerner President also appoints a Southerner as GMD of NNPC.
The Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from Katsina State appointed a fellow Katsina State man Engr. Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua as GMD of NNPC on 14th August 2007 when he came into power. President Yar’Adua thereafter replaced Engr.
Yar’Adua with another Northerner Mohammed Barkindo from Adamawa State as GMD of NNPC on 12th January 2009. Barkindo is a man many rightly considered was incompetent for the top job and his main reason for qualifications to the GMD of NNPC was largely been his relationship with Rilwanu Lukman whom he served as a Personal Assistant while Lukman was the Minister of Petroleum in 1986.
Barkindo holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and also an MBA degree and will later work in top positions in the NNPC for 23 years courtesy of his godfather Alhaji Lukman. On his return as Minister of Petroleum under late President Yar’Adua, Lukman influenced the appointment of his political son as GMD of the NNPC, a gross show of nepotism.
When former President Jonathan took over he continued with appointment of Northerners with Alhaji Shehu Lawan, a lawyer in the NNPC appointed as GMD of NNPC in April 2010. On relieving Ladan of his position, President Jonathan next appointed another Northern Mr. Austin Oniwon from Kogi State as GMD of NNPC from May 2010 to 2012.
Next Jonathan yet again kept the NNPC top job with the Northerners with Engr. Yakubu from Kaduna State as GMD of NNPC from 2012 to 2014. And in August 2014 President Jonathan appointed another Northerner from Borno State Mr. Joseph Dawha as GMD of NNPC making it six (6) northerners in a row in the top job.
For the first time after six appointments of NNPC GMDs from North, a Southerner is now appointed, what really is the big deal?
Diana-Abasi Udoh is a writer, politician, public affairs analyist, lecturer, and agronomist. He tweets from @dian4real.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
