Marinho Endorses Engr. Oniwon As GMD

PHOTO: R-L: GMD NNPC, ENGR. AUSTEN ONIWON RECEIVING PIONEER GMD NNPC, CHIEF FESTUS MARINHO LAST NIGHT (FRIDAY) AT THE NNPC TOWERS, ABUJA.

ABUJA, May 28, (THEWILL) - Oil and Gas veteran and pioneer Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Chief Festus Marinho has described the recent appointment of Engr. Austen Oniwon as the GMD of the Corporation as a pointer to the Federal Government’s commitment to the transformation of the oil and gas industry.

Chief Marinho gave this affirmation last night when he paid a courtesy call on Engr. Oniwon at the NNPC towers, Abuja.

Chief Marinho disclosed that Engr. Oniwon was part of the succession dream of the corporation and revealed that 25 years ago when he was the GMD of the corporation, Engr. Oniwon won the GMD’s merit award along with other former GMDs of the corporation.

"Engr. Oniwon is a fine professional that has the intellectual capacity to take the NNPC to the next level. He is one of the few staff of the corporation that you can call upon at anytime and who would respond to the task assigned to them. There is no way you can hide people who are good on their jobs. For me, Engr. Oniwon is a round peg in a round hole."

He urged Engr. Oniwon to use his office to impact positively on the corporation noting that as a professional and a person who has spent several years with NNPC, he has all it takes to transform the corporation.

Chief Marinho called on the Federal Government to continue with the reform in the oil and gas sector saying that is the only way that conducive business environment can be created for the Country to become an investors haven. He said his recent book- Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry: A Maverick Pioneer was his humble way of presenting the past to heal the present.

Responding, Engr. Oniwon commended the pioneer GMD for committing his wealth of experience into a book revealing that the management of the corporation is planning to organize a forum for all former GMDs to collate and include their contributions to the Petroleum Industry Bill before it is passed into law by the National Assembly.