Workers at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited have warned their new Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, not to bring in outsiders to fill top management roles.
The workers, who belong to the NNPC Group Executive Council of NUPENG and PENGASSAN, said they will shut down operations if Ojulari appoints anyone from outside the company as executive vice president, deputy manager or manager.
In a letter to the NNPC Chief Human Resource Officer, the unions said there are already qualified people within NNPC who can take on those roles. The letter, titled ‘Filling of Top Management Positions in NNPC Limited With Externally Recruited Personnel is Unacceptable to PENGASSAN & NUPENG GEC’, was signed by leaders from both unions.
The letter congratulated Ojulari and the new board members appointed by President Bola Tinubu. However, it also expressed serious concerns based on past experiences, where newly appointed CEOs hired outsiders instead of promoting current staff.
The unions said NNPC is filled with experienced professionals who have dedicated years to the company and deserve a chance to grow. They believe hiring from outside is unfair and wasteful.
They warned that appointing non-staff into key roles could harm staff morale and disrupt the company’s progress. If the warning is ignored, they said, they cannot guarantee continued peace in the company.
The unions made it clear that they oppose hiring from outside for any senior role above SS6 level, and any attempt to do so will be met with strong resistance, including a full shutdown of NNPC operations.