The President also appointed seven Chief Operating Officers alongside Kyari. The newly appointed officers are to work with current officeholders till July 7, 2019.

A statement from the group public affairs general manager, Ndu Ughamadu said the President Buhari directed that the New GMD and the newly appointed COOs work with the current occupiers of the various offices till 7th July 2019 towards a smooth transition on 8th July 2019 when their appointments would take effect to ensure a smooth transition.

It said the appointment of Mr Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring Chief Operating Officer, is effective from 28th June 2019.

According to the statement, the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers are: Roland Onoriode Ewubare (S/South) – COO Upstream,Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (N/ Central) – COO Refining & Petrochemicals, Yusuf Usman (N/East) – COO, Gas & Power, Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (S/East), COO Ventures,

Umar Isa Ajiya (N/West) – Chief Financial Officer, Adeyemi Adetunji (S/West) – COO, Downstream and Farouk Garba Said (N/West) – COO, Corporate Services.

Until his new appointment, Kyari who is a geologist was Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since 13th May 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.END