By Adewole Kehinde
What is tribalism? Simply put, tribalism is loyalty to one’s own tribe, party, or group.
Which brings us to the question, what is a tribe? A tribe is a group of people united by either a common ancestor, a community of traditions, adherence to the same beliefs, or followership of the same, often historic leader.
By this definition, Igbo people are a tribe, as are Yoruba people, as are Nigerians, as are Super Eagles fans.
I came across this article, “Only My Tribe Doesn’t Work In NNPC,” written by Tunji Ajibade.
First of all, going by NNPC’s mission, vision, and core values, which include; adding value to the nation’s hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders; being a world-class oil and gas company driven by shared commitment to excellence and respect for the individual; staff development and growth; integrity; transparency and accountability; and professional excellence; I don’t see the NNPC as a company that adds frustration to the faces of people, anger, and sense of helplessness as postulated by the writer.
Going by the information available to Nigerians, the Management team of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited cut across all the geo-political zone of Nigeria aa can be seem below:
Adokiye Tombomieye, Group Executive Director, Upstream; AbdulKabir M. Ahmed, Group Executive Director, Gas & Power; Mustapha Y. Yakubu, Group Executive Director, Refining; Adeyemi Adetunji, Group Executive Director, Downstream; Billy Okoye, Group Executive Director, Ventures and Business Development; Umar I. Ajiya, Group Executive Director, Finance & Accounts; Aisha Ahmadu-Katagum, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services and Hadiza Y. Coomassie, Secretary to the Corporation & Legal Adviser.
Also, looking at the recently inaugurated board of the NNPC Limited, it shows that it cuts across all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, as can be seen below:
Mrs. Margery C. Okadigbo, Chairman, Board of Directors; Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum (Member); Mr. Ahmed Aliyu, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance (Member); Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd. (Member); Mr. Pius O. Akinyelure, Member, NNPC Board; Dr. Tajuddeen Umar, Member,
Since he assumed office as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari has stamped out sharp business practices, violations of regulations, illegal deductions of funds belonging to the state and failures, among others, through the Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda, which has brought about greater transparency and accountability in NNPC’s management of Nigerian oil and gas revenues to date.
It is on record that the Management of NNPC Limited under Mal. Mele Kyari has ensured a steady supply and availability of Premium Motor Spirit for the past three years, as no Nigerian sleeps in filling stations during the festive period.
The recent fuel scarcity and the long queues at the pump are already fizzling away due to the quick intervention of the NNPC management.
Nigerians need to understand that we will always have differences, and these differences will on occasion lead to friction and open conflict.
The important lesson to keep close to heart is to form the ability to put these differences aside and build a nation.
Adewole Kehinde is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja and can be reached via 08166240846, 08123608662. Email: kennyadewole@gmail.com
