By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Chief Operating Officer, Joint Ventures and Business Development at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Roland Ewubare, has resigned from the corporation.
It was gathered on Friday that the top NNPC official resigned abruptly from the corporation on Wednesday morning, after working with the national oil firm for about five years.
Ewubare, who hails from Delta State, in Nigeria’s South-South region, worked as a close adviser to the late Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru.
There are insinuations that Ewubare resigned because he was moved from the post of the Chief Operating Officer, Upstream to head the joint ventures and business development a few months ago; a move considered as a kind of demotion in some quarters.
It is also being speculated by many in the corporation that he resigned due to a brewing cold war with Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the corporation.
In a public message, however, on Friday, the former NNPC COO debunked claims that he resigned due to feud with the management of the corporation.
He noted that the desire to build a close knit family prompted him to take move, adding that the demands of his office had over the years kept him away from family.
He said, “No feud at all. The GMD (Mele Kyari) is my very close friend and ally. He has been super supportive. I’m leaving to return to my family in the United States.
“I have been in NNPC for five years mostly away from them. With the pandemic, I can’t travel to visit them and they can’t come to visit me. It’s tough. At the core, I’m a family man.”
Ewubare, who served as Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investments and Management Services (NAPIMS), also waxed biblical about his resignation
He said, “Even the Bible asks what it will profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul. Stepping down solely for personal family reasons. That’s the truth.”
Before his resignation, Ewubare also served as the Managing Director of the Integrated Data Services Limited.
It was gathered that among the senior officials who could replace Ewubare include the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing, Adokie Tambomine, the Group General Manager, Planning and Strategy, Muyiwe Eyessan, among others.
