The search for the new Group Managing Director (GMD) for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was laid to rest last week when the Federal Government announced the appointment of Mr Andrew Yakubu, as a successor to Mr Austen Oniwon, the former GMD, NNPC.

Oniwon was due for retirement in April, 2011 and was reported to have turned in his letter of retirement from the NNPC which he has served for over 25 years.

However, the pressure to have Oniwon’s tenure extended beyond 2011 was sustained for reasons not publicly disclosed. Moreover, there were other group that argued that it was of no point “extending his time,” as Oniwon had already put in his best to the service of the industry.

The reasons for his extension may be based on the fact that in the last five years, NNPC has had five GMDs. They were Funso Kupolokun, Abubakar Yar’Adua, Shehu Ladan, Austen Oniwon and the current GMD, Andrew Yakubu.

Among many challenges confronting the new NNPC boss is the corruption rocking the organisation. The NNPC, according to Transparency International, is the most corrupt organization when compared with its contemporaries like the Petrobas, Petronas and other state-owned oil firms in the world. Tackling the corruption within the system will be the most daunting task for Andrew Yakubu.

Yakubu needs to begin with cleansing the rots in NNPC by ensuring transparency and accountability in all NNPC transactions on behalf of the state. The NNPC manages the oil and gas sector on behalf of the Federal Government.

The President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, (NAPE), Mr Mayowa Afe, advised the new GMD to fix Nigeria by fixing the NNPC. “Fix Nigeria by fixing the NNPC,” he said.

Confirming the rots in the NNPC, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Ndubuisi Nwaogu, sometimes disclosed at the House of Reps committee hearing that all importations made in connection to subsidised fuel by the NNPC never went through the Nigeria Customs Services.

“Whenever our men insisted on enforcing the rules, they are politely advised to stay action to enable free flow of petrol in the country, particularly the products imported by the NNPC,” he said.