NNPC Faults Reports On Alleged Performance Probe For 70,000 Staff

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has faulted media reports that it plans to embark on staff performance probe of a purported 70, 000 staff.

In a statement on Thursday by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, the NNPC said neither does it have staff strength of 70,000 nor it is planning to flag off any performance audit of its staff.

‘‘NNPC has never at a point in its history maintained a 70,000 staff strength and wondered the source of such erroneous information’’ Ughamadu said in the statement.

He said, “NNPC is not embarking on any staff performance audit. What we said in the press release that was apparently misrepresented in the media was that the Chief Operating Officers (COOs) of the various Autonomous Business Units signed performance bonds with the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, as part of efforts to ensure that all the units deliver on their mandates in the upcoming year. There was nothing in that statement that indicated that NNPC would carry out a performance probe of staff”, Mr. Ughamadu explained.

He further urged journalists to ‘‘always adhere to the ethics of the profession and seek clarification whenever they were not sure about any information contained press statements,’’ adding that ‘the doors of the Corporation were always opened to such inquiries.’’