Buhari sacks heads of NNPC, NCC; appoints replacements

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Emmanuel Kachikwu as the new Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Mr. Kachikwu, who was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa), is to take over from Joseph Dawha, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A first class graduate of law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Nigerian Law School, Mr. Kachikwu hails from Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State.

The new NNPC Chief Executive also holds Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School.

He began his working career with the Nigerian/American Merchant Bank before moving on to Texaco Nigeria Limited from where he joined Exxon-Mobil.

A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the president has also approved the appointment of Umaru Danbatta as the new Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.

His appointment as Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC is for five years in the first instance.

Mr. Danbatta, who holds a Doctorate Degree in Electronic Engineering, takes over from Eugene Juwah whose tenure expired on July 29, 2015.

Mr. Juwah had been granted a controversial appointment by the outgone administration for a second tenure before the expiration of his first tenure.

The new NCC Chief Executive’s other academic qualifications include a Bachelors Degree in Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications as well as a Masters Degree in the same field.

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and has had a meritorious career in which he rose to become Professor of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Bayero University, Kano, specializing
in Telecommunications Engineering and Information and Communications Technology.

Before his new appointment, Danbatta held top management and leadership positions at different times including Head of Department, Dean Of Faculty, Director, Centre for Information Technology, Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (Kano Branch), Deputy Vice Chancellor and Acting Vice Chancellor.