The GGM, NAPIMS, Dr. M. K. Baru on Tuesday November 27, 2007 held his inaugural meeting with staff. Speaking at the occasion which was held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Dr. Baru stated that the intent of the gathering was not for a formal briefing but for him to meet one on one with each staff and socialize with them. He pointed out part of the delay in holding the forum had been due largely to want of a suitable venue and the other several corporate and national assignments.

He enjoined staff to imbibe accountability in their personal lives, which can then easily reflect on their work. Further, he advised staff to seek and tap knowledge both from the NNPC and the ones our JV/PSC partners have put in place in order to enable us stay ahead. He encouraged the existing staff to help the new transferees in getting a grip on the job. He spoke extensively on the oil and gas reforms stating that Policy functions will be excised from NNPC to National Petroleum Directorate (NPD) while regulatory will be handled by Petroleum Inspectorate Commission (PIC) which will be empowered to deliver, especially in the upstream. Petroleum Products Development Authority (PPDA) will ensure the transportation of petroleum products to various locations within the country.

He further educated that Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) will maintain its role of balancing the prices of petroleum products all over the country by subsidizing the transportation cost to certain locations while the Petroleum Products Regulatory Agency (PPRA) will continue to ensure that Marketers are adequately compensated when they import products and cannot sell at commercial rates. The National Petroleum Company of Nigeria (NAPCON) will replace the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

NAPCON alongside with National Petroleum Asset Management Services (NAMS) will do some
commercial roles and its profit and deficit will be absorbed by government. He further stated that  NAPIMS may form the nucleus of NAMS with its Joint Venture activities transferred to NAPCON. He pointed out that funding will now become easier since available assets can be pledged in the capital market and adequate funds sourced for operations.

He admonished staff to carry their weight in order to be properly positioned in the new dispensation. He made it clear that those who can not make it will be dropped and if need be, fresh hands hired. Speaking on the issue of accommodation, he stated that approval for the renovation of No. 36, Gerrard Road is being awaited from the Presidency and hoped the facility will be ready within a year.

He appealed for abundant team work, synergy and dedication to the goals of the Corporation stating that our challenges are surmountable. In a vote of thanks, the GM, Services appreciated the GGM, for enlightening the management and staff on the direction NNPC is going.
He also appreciated staff for their punctuality, neatness and dedication to hard work despite poor office
accommodation and assured them that their interest will be promoted at all times both within NAPIMS and
corporate level. Below is full text of the GGM, speech at the occasion.

GGM’s INAUGURAL SPEECH TO STAFF ON TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER, 2007

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen or better still Colleagues. I am delighted that we are now able to hold this forum which I have had cause to re-schedule several times due to exigencies of duty. I sincerely thank you all for the understanding and endless support as we jointly face the challenges currently posed to us as a corporate organization.

My redeployment to NAPIMS, for me, is like homecoming as I had spent 6 years of my career in NAPIMS as GM, GAS, and now 8 years after my sojourn into other areas of specialization in NNPC, I am back as the GGM NAPIMS. I cannot but express my happiness to be back once more in the fold of the company, which I consider as my first ‘family’ in NNPC.

The strategic role of NAPIMS in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry cannot be overemphasized; it is against this background, that I seek your cooperation in ensuring that we realize the Federal Government’s mandate given to us.

As we are all aware, the Government’s mandate is to increase the national reserves to 40 billion bbl by the year 2010 and producibility of 4.0 mbpd. To achieve this, we need to work closely with our Joint Venture Partners and encourage our PSC Contractors to deliver on projects as at when due and also within budget. With the repositioning of NAPIMS and the establishment of NipeX, the bottleneck of delayed contracts and approvals will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Transparency and zero tolerance for corruption would be our watch words. Therefore, as we operate in a dynamic terrain, we should endeavour to put in our best, while ensuring that due process is followed in the budget reviews, performance and contract execution processes that we engage in with our JV Partners and PSC Contractors. The concept of Transparency should not be limited to JV/PSC activities, but it should
transverse our internal processes within NAPIMS and also our personal lives. Loyalty and accountability should also be our guide.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, and the increasingly challenging environment in which we operate, we need to constantly improve on our techniques, seek more knowledge and tap on all available resources that the Corporation has put at our disposal.

This knowledge will enable us not only to keep abreast with our counterparts in the industry, but also a step ahead as we deliver on our objectives.

I am aware that about 100 staff has been transferred to NAPIMS, I will enjoin them to have a good grip on the job in order to deliver a good level of competence. With the discovery of hydrocarbon in commercial quantity in Chad and Niger Basins, the Frontier Exploration Services (FES) is currently in the process of producing a strategic plan/ work programme that will produce a roadmap for further exploration activities in the Chad Basin.

The Federal Government has embarked on the implementation of the Oil and Gas Sector Reform Committee’s recommendations. NAPIMS is going to be impacted. The Oil and Gas Implementation Committee (OGIC) will separate Policy, Regulatory and Commercial activities in the Sector. National Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will handle Policy, Petroleum Inspectorate Commission (PIC), Petroleum Products Distribution Agency (PPDA), PEF will do Regulatory while National Petroleum Company of Nigerian (NAPCON) and NAMS will do commercial roles.

NAPIMS may form the nucleus of NAMS while some of its JV supervision functions move to NAPCON to form the core of its Operated by Others (OBO) Division. You can see that a lot is happening on the background and will soon come to your level at the implementation stage.

Your management is fully involved in this exercise and will keep you posted. I am aware that office accommodation has been a challenge to our effective performance and operations in NAPIMS. I must commend you all for the relentless efforts put up by everyone to ensure that operations do not suffer any hiccup as a result of this.

While I crave your continuous understanding in this regard, I will like to state that NAPIMS and indeed NNPC Management will do everything possible to find a lasting solution to this seemingly insurmountable problem as soon as possible.

All efforts will also be put in place to provide the workforce with the required tools and equipment that would enable us to function effectively, while also contributing to the global aspiration of NNPC in becoming a world class oil and gas company. As we strive to deliver on our mandate, I urge us all to be punctual and committed to duty as this will enable us fulfill our objectives and goals. We require abundant team effort, synergy at all levels and above all dedication to the goals of the Corporation.

All these and the other laudable virtues are the requirements I desire from you all as we jointly fulfill NAPIMS strategic responsibilities in the industry. Thank you.