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Tag: NNPC

  • Minister summons NNPC over unremitted $8.476b NLNG dividends

    Minister summons NNPC over unremitted $8.476b NLNG dividends

    • NEITI unveils $1.7b exchange rate difference, N175.9b discrepancies

    The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday summoned the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD), Andrew Yakubu, for the corporation’s refusal to remit a total of $8.476billion as reported by the previous Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit.

    She said the NNPC received $4.84billion as dividends and repayment from the Nigerian Liquiedfied Natural Gas (NLNG), which it was yet to remit to the Federation Account.

    Besides, the report revealed that the corporation received another $3.99billion without remitting it to the Federation Account.

    The minister spoke at the public presentation of the the NEITI 2009-2011 oil and gas physical and audit report in Abuja. She asked the GMD to see her for private discussions on the financial issues.

    Okonjo-Iweala noted that after a robust discussion with the NNPC boss, she , as the Minister of Finance could afford to depend on the remittance for additional revenue.

    Her words: “GMD, you are welcome back. I missed you because I was citing some of the words from NEITI and I said some of us are assembled here (the right people) because they pointed out some remittances from NLNG, amounting to over $8billion for a period of time-2006-2009, which we need to discuss.

    “As the Minister of Finance, I don’t want it on the floor here. We need a very robust conversation about this money because I can depend on it as a Minister of Finance that this is additional revenue. “

    The minister also drew attention of the stakeholders at the event to the issue of exchange rate.

    She said that the areas of discussion with the corporation, included the exchange rate differences, which were not resolved in the declaration of revenue by NNPC.

    The NEITI chairman, Mr. Ledum Mittee said the NEITI report observed poor inventory management, which accounted for the difficulty in determining balances for imported products.

    The report, said Mittee, noted, “NEITI also discovered a lingering worrisome situation where there is no agreed pricing methodology between NNPC and the companies for determination of fiscal values for royalty and PPT computations.

    “In addition, the MoU for joint venture partners JV’s which expired in 2008 is yet to be renewed, yet the companies covered by JV are still using the expired MoU in their transactions with Nigeria, resulting in a difference between NNPC and covered entities positions over $1.7billion between 2009-2011, which are reported by the auditors as revenue losses to the Federation.”

    On decline of the government crude oil productions, crude liftings and revenue accruable to the Federation, the report identified that there was inadequate funding of the JV operations.

    It also noted that all refineries are operating below their name plate capacities resulting in a situation where 80 per cent of crude oil allocated to local refineries is exported for off-shore processing, crude oil and product exchange.

    The chairman explained, “the report has negative consequences on revenue accruable to the Federation Account. According to the report, “the combined loss to Nigeria in the Offshore Processing, Crude and Products Exchange within the period under review was over $866million.”

    NEITI disclosed that Nigeria made total subsidy payments of N3trillion to importers of refined petroleum products.

    It said: “This is made up of N1.4trillion fuel subsidy claims by the NNPC for the period 2009-2011 and a total of N1.60trillion paid to other marketers during the same period. The report observed that the disparity between subsidy claims paid from the Federation Account and that made by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was N175.9billion during the same period.”

    Mr Mittee however said Nigeria recorded a total crude oil production of over 2.5billion barrels, an increase of 4.8 per cent over 2006-2008.

    Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC has reiterated the commitment of the Corporation to work with the NEITI in the pursuit of its mandate in ensuring transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry and the entire extractive industry in general.

  • Iweala summons NNPC over unremitted $8.476b NLNG dividends

    The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Monday summoned the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD), Engr. Andrew Yakubu over the corporation’s alleged  refusal to remit a total of $8.476billion.
    According to the Minister , previous  audit of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) indicated that the   NNPC received $4.84billion  as dividends and repayment from the Nigerian Liquiedfied Natural Gas (NLNG) which it was yet to remit to the Federation Account.
    Besides, the report revealed that the corporation received another $3.99billion without remitting to the Federation Account.
    Speaking at the public presentation of the the NEITI  2009-2011 oil and gas physical and audit report at Abuja, she asked the GMD to see her for private discussions on the financial matter.
    Okonjo-Iweala noted that after a  discussion with the NNPC boss, she , as the Minister of Finance could afford to depend on the remittance for additional revenue.
    Her words: “GMD, you are welcome back. I missed you because I was citing some of the words from NEITI and I said some of us are assembled here (the right people)  because they pointed out some remittances from NLNG, amounting to over $8billion for a period of time-2006-2009, which we need to discuss.
    “As the Minister of Finance, I don’t want  it on the floor here. We need a very robust conversation about this money because I can depend on it as a Minister of Finance that this is additional revenue. ”
    The minister also drew attention of the surging stakeholders at the event to the issue of exchange rate.
    As part of the areas of discussion with the corporation, the minister said, was the exchange rate differences  which were not resolved in the declaration of revenue by NNPC.
    The NEITI chairman, Mr. Ledum Mittee said the NEITI report observed poor inventory management which accounted for the difficulty in determining  balances for imported products.

  • NNPC pays govt N2.6tr, says report

    NNPC pays govt N2.6tr, says report

    •Corporation gets N2.6b claims from Leadway, others

    THE Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) paid N2.6 trillion into the Federation Account in the first six months of this year, The Nation has learnt.

    Five insurance companies, including Leadway Insurance also paid the corporation N2, 680,535,195.2 billion in insurance claims for exported crude oil in May.

    These were contained in the report the corporation submitted to the July Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja last week.

    The report, which was prepared by Onome Jack, checked by Nura Umar and approved by Mrs E. N. Eni-Kalu, included the statement of account as at last June.

    The NNPC said it transferred $8,762,818,942.19 or N2, 649,721,229,327.49 into the Federation Account.

    The corporation told the FAAC that it transferred N286, 862,007,820.52 to the Federation Account using the exchange rate of N154.76 per dollar in June.

    Also included in the statement of account are the total proceeds of crude oil and gas for June, which stands at N289,198,407,820.52.

    The grand total of the NNPC/FGN equity and crude oil, and other receipts was N150,794,471,986.27, including N22,258,059,323.78 for the NNPC/FGN Equity gas receipts.

    The NNPC reported to the FAAC meeting that “there was increase in production from Forcados and Qua-Iboe terminals due to completion of pipeline repair works, however, lifting operations were adversely affected during the period due to the Force Majeure declared at Bonny terminal due to theft along Nembe Creek Trunk line, resulting in production shut down of about 150,000 bopd; drop in production at Brass terminal due to pipeline vandalism and theft activities as well as drop in production at Okono and Amenam terminals due to repair work on equipment.”

    The domestic crude cost for March, the report said, was N112,382,568,750, while the gas and other Naira receipts stood at N1,426,907,760.47 by June.

    The report stated that the May export sales volume of 9.18 million barrels was 4.2 million barrels higher than April export sales volume of 4.97 million barrels.

    “The total revenue from crude oil export sales during the period under review at an average unit price of $104.754 per barrel is $951.87 million,”the report said.

    This amount is $437.7 million higher than what was realised in the preceeding April.

    During the period under review NNPC said it lifted 5.68 million barrels of PPT oil valued at $598.30 million and 2.3 million BTU of Modified Carry Agreement (MCA) Gas valued at $5.4 million.

    These amounts were paid into the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) account, with JP Morgan Chase.

    Royalty Oil lifting of 1.01 million barrels and MCA Oil and Gas valued at $105 million were also paid into the DPR Account.

    The report noted that the “domestic crude oil sales of 11.59 million barrels for the month of May, was 1.4 million barrels higher than April domestic sales volume. The total value of Domestic Crude oil sales, at an average unit price of  $105.397 and exchange rate of $154.75/$ was N188.98 billion.

    ‘’This amount is higher than April Domestic Crude Oil sales value of N160.89 billion by N28.096 billion.”

    Actual receipts from Domestic Crude oil sales for March 2013, was put at N112.38 billion,while gas sales of 94,739MT at an average unit price of $690.2462 generated total sales revenue of $65.39million.

    NLNG Feedstock sale for the month was 47.871Millio BTU at an average unit price of $2.2787678. This generated total sales revenue of $109.087 million.

    The corporation also signed a “Modified Carry Agreement” of $1.69 billion with Shell Petroleum development Company (SPDC), TOTAL and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) designed to finance their Joint Venture Upstream project in Gbaran-Ugbidie, in Bayelsa State.

    Modified Carry Agreement is a financing agreement whereby the International Oil Companies (IOC’s) will advance loan to NNPC for investing in upstream projects. The three oil giants are operating in Nigeria under a Joint Venture arrangement with NNPC, in the NNPC/SPDC/TOTAL/NAOC Joint Venture.

    The last financing agreement signed was a modification of the Carry Agreement. The new “Modified Carry Agreement” (MCA) introduces greater level of transparency and accountability with repayment and compensation being on “cash and carry basis”, not oil.

    In the deal, the NNPC would allow the three firms to take capital allowances as allowed by the Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) to recover 85 per cent of the principal loan. By taking the allowance, the IOCs are reducing the taxable profit that they ought to have paid.

    The remaining 15 per cent plus eight per cent interest would be paid in cash from the increased production from, which the investment was made. If, for any reason, the oil field where the investment was made could not produce, then payment of the 15 per cent plus the eight per cent interest would be stopped.

    The signing of the agreement was as a result of a successful negotiation between the four oil giants involved, that is the NNPC, SPDC, TOTAL and NAOC.

    Meanwhile, Leadway Insurance was one of the insurance firms that made three insurance claims to NNPC while Sovereign Trust insurance settled two claims.

    Leadway Assurance paid $16,628,480.38 as claims, Sovereign Trust Insurance paid $12,974.91, Linkage Assurance paid $105,082.60; Fin Insurance paid $2,797.08, while Great Nigeria Insurance, $4,000.

     

  • Unpaid subsidy claims: Federation Account may incur liabilities, says NNPC

    Unpaid subsidy claims: Federation Account may incur liabilities, says NNPC

    • Poor revenue collection wipes out residue fund

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has warned that the Federation Account (FA) is under threat of incurring contingent liabilities if the it is not paid its subsidy claims, The Nation has learnt.

    A source, who asked not to be named, said NNPC has not been paid its claims since February, last year, resulting in a debt overhang of N1.093 trillion to the Account.

    According to the minutes of the meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting of May 2013, it was observed the NNPC was asked to give an update on the N1.093 trillion it owes the FA.

    In response, the representative of the NNPC at the meeting, said the NNPC’s “position on matter had not changed.”

    The unchanged position of the NNPC on the debt it owes the FA the representative said, is because “the corporation has not been paid any subsidy claim since February 2012, whereas other oil marketers continue to receive subsidy claims every month.”

    He said: “There was contingent liability on the FA arising from NNPC supply of petroleum products for domestic consumption.”

    These are liabilities that may be incurred by an entity depending on the outcome of a future event, such as a suit, a source clarified.

    The NNPC representative at the FAAC meeting was said to have added that “the debt against the corporation would reduce when its subsidy claims are paid.”

    This explanation did not, however, go down well with the state commissioners of finance, as the Finance Commissioner from Ebonyi State, and the Chairman of the Finance Commissioners Timothy Odaah said “that the Post-Mortem Sub-Committee had discovered that the NNPC was maintaining an account called ‘Development Fund Account,’ and that $103.7 million was domiciled in it. He suggested that the money should be used to pay off NNPC debt.

    Reacting to the issues raised, the Chairman of FAAC and Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Lawan Ngama, explained that “a detailed exercise on NNPC listings was carefully carried out, and that the corporation was advised to stick to its original format for rendering it’s report”.

    On the $103.7 million account, he said the NNPC “cannot maintain any account relating to FA matters without the approval of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF)”. He promised to look into the matter.

    He also said: “Revenue collections into the Federation Account (FA) were consistently falling below expectations,”citing the low performance of the NNPC, the Federal Inand RevenueService (FIRS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

    Ngama said collections were below the monthly budget, and that the situation was eroding the savings earlier recorded, hence there was no residue funds to drawn from. This may explain why there was no augmentation for June.

    He pointed out that the unfolding monthly revenue performance, clearly showed that the 2013 budget projections were unrealistic.

    However, he assured the meeting that the government was working to improve the situation and that all the outstanding arrears would be paid.

    Members were not satisfied with the explanation of the chairman. They resolved not to continue the meeting until the outstanding arrears were paid.

    However, the chairman impressed on members not to see the Federal Government as not concerned with the economic well-being of the states and local governments.

    He pointed out that the Federal Government was faced with greater financial predicaments than the states noting that the federal government was more desirous in getting the unpaid outstanding arrears from the FA than the states in view of its huge wage bills. He informed the meeting that any other outstanding arrears would be paid by August, 2013.

    The minuteof the May, 2013 meeting said the commissioner of finance from Niger state urged the chairman to endeavour to carry along FAAC members on certain issues, this he said would create and sustain better results at FAAC meetings.

  • Reps reject NNPC’s N384.9b operation loss claim

    Reps reject NNPC’s N384.9b operation loss claim

    The House of Representatives has rejected the operational loss of N384.9billion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2009 and 2011, describing it as ‘unacceptable.’

    The lawmakers also expressed disbelief when the corporation asked to be exempted from remitting certain part of its operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) on the basis that it has never made any profit.

    NNPC made N6 trillion between 2009 and 2012 as IGR, but refused to remit N142billion to the CRF as demanded by the Fiscal Respinsiblity Act (FRA), 2007.

    The NNPC had informed the House of Representatives Committee on Finance probing Federal governemt agencies’ remittances of surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), that the three years under review have been financially negative for the corporation.

    The breakdown, as contained in the corporation’s presentation to the Committee yesterday, showed that crude oil lost to vandalism was 2.316million barrels in 2010, while 6.391million barrels were stolen in 2011. In 2012, loss to vandalism was 3.045million barrels.

    The total loss recorded was 11.753million barrels between 2010 and 2012.

    Financially, losses recorded in the NNPC’s upstream, midstream and downstream operations, amounted to N298billion in 2009, N110.9billion in 2010 and N37.6billion in 2011.

    The Group Executive Director (GED), Finance and Accounts, Benard Otti, who led a team of senior management to the meeting said, as indicated in the presentation, the NNPC therefore was in no position to remit any surplus to the CRF.

    “Quantum of losses are indicative of crude and pipeline vandalism and unrecovered subsidy claims. It seems as if we are only working for thieves and vandals.

    “Our business model defies description,” he said.

    The Abdulmumin Jubrin-led Committee however questioned the integrity of the report, as it was internally computed without any input from external, credible professional auditing firm.

    For instance, the Committee noticed inconsistent figures in the 10 per cent Gross margin presented against the breakdown that overshot the 10 per cent by 1.17 per cent.

    While expressing its readiness to employ the services of professionals to investigate the report, the Committee however requested the Corporation to finish it with details of its tax remittances.

    The Committee asked the Corporation to furnish it with details and sources of how it has been meeting its operational costs since it has always been operating at a loss.

    In view of the bleak and hopeless picture painted by the NNPC for the country, the Committee asked if there was any reason for the existence of the corporation with it unending operating losses.

    The Committee wants the corporation to account for what it does with the left over of daily domestic crude allocation and the crude swap, in addition to how it gets funds for the repair of vandalised pipelines since there was no appropriation for it.

  • Reps reject NNPC’s N384.9b operation loss claim

    Reps reject NNPC’s N384.9b operation loss claim

    The House of Representatives has rejected the operational loss of N384.9billion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2009 and 2011, describing it as ‘unacceptable.’

    The lawmakers also expressed disbelief when the corporation asked to be exempted from remitting certain part of its operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) on the basis that it has never made any profit.

    NNPC made N6 trillion between 2009 and 2012 as IGR, but refused to remit N142billion to the CRF as demanded by the Fiscal Respinsiblity Act (FRA), 2007.

    The NNPC had informed the House of Representatives Committee on Finance probing Federal governemt agencies’ remittances of surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), that the three years under review have been financially negative for the corporation.

    The breakdown, as contained in the corporation’s presentation to the Committee yesterday, showed that crude oil lost to vandalism was 2.316million barrels in 2010, while 6.391million barrels were stolen in 2011. In 2012, loss to vandalism was 3.045million barrels.

    The total loss recorded was 11.753million barrels between 2010 and 2012.

    Financially, losses recorded in the NNPC’s upstream, midstream and downstream operations, amounted to N298billion in 2009, N110.9billion in 2010 and N37.6billion in 2011.

    The Group Executive Director (GED), Finance and Accounts, Benard Otti, who led a team of senior management to the meeting said, as indicated in the presentation, the NNPC therefore was in no position to remit any surplus to the CRF.

    “Quantum of losses are indicative of crude and pipeline vandalism and unrecovered subsidy claims. It seems as if we are only working for thieves and vandals.

    “Our business model defies description,” he said.

    The Abdulmumin Jubrin-led Committee however questioned the integrity of the report, as it was internally computed without any input from external, credible professional auditing firm.

    For instance, the Committee noticed inconsistent figures in the 10 per cent Gross margin presented against the breakdown that overshot the 10 per cent by 1.17 per cent.

    While expressing its readiness to employ the services of professionals to investigate the report, the Committee however requested the Corporation to finish it with details of its tax remittances.

    The Committee asked the Corporation to furnish it with details and sources of how it has been meeting its operational costs since it has always been operating at a loss.

    In view of the bleak and hopeless picture painted by the NNPC for the country, the Committee asked if there was any reason for the existence of the corporation with it unending operating losses.

    The Committee wants the corporation to account for what it does with the left over of daily domestic crude allocation and the crude swap, in addition to how it gets funds for the repair of vandalised pipelines since there was no appropriation for it.

  • Pipeline explodes in Lagos

    Pipeline explodes in Lagos

    A Joint Task Force yesterday saved the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at Atlas Cove from an early morning inferno caused by the activities of vandals.

    About 200 kegs of 50 litres of crude oil as well as three jetties were recovered.

    The explosion, which rocked the Akinbo Jetty, Ilado area, started at about 1am when some suspected pipelines vandals attempted to siphon products from the pipelines.

    The spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Southwest, Ibrahim Farinloye, said: “Rescue efforts from NNPC, NIMASA and other specialised agencies put out the fire at about 10:48am.

    “The fire did not start from the main pipeline rather the valves supplying the product exploded. The first batch of our team reached there around 7.30am and the fire was put out at the Akinbo Jetty of Atlas Cove.

    “Cooling and pegging process have begun and it was not a barge but vandalism of NNPC pipeline.

    “About 200 50 litres jerry cans were recovered as well as three burning boats. The boats got burnt beyond repairs.”

    Farinloye said naval officers were on ground to save the situation. He said he was not sure if there were casualties but maintained that the boats were burnt.

    The Command Information Officer, Western Naval Command (WNC), Lt Jerry Omodara, confirmed the incident but insisted there was no casualty.

    He said: “The situation has been brought under control. I spoke with the Commander, NNS Beecroft, Cmd Chris Ezekobe, who confirmed that he had deployed some officers to the area.

    “Contrary to speculations, he confirmed that there was no casualty but at the moment, we are yet to identify the cause of the explosion but it happened around the police surveillance post area in Atlas Cove.

    “The fire started about 4am and burnt till about 10am and preliminary investigations revealed that vandals broke the pipeline valve to siphon the products when it exploded.

    “The explosion aborted their attempt to steal some products and they disappeared before rescue team comprising of NEMA, Police, and other security agencies came.

    “It was also gathered that the fire was put out by the NNPC fire service. What they did was to stop the flow of products and extinguish the fire. Again, the navy responded quickly when the information filtered in.”

    Police spokesman Ngozi Braide could not be reached for comments.

  • EX- NNPC staff rearrested for pipeline vandalism

    A former staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Bashiru Majiyagbe, who was jailed for five years for his alleged involvement in pipeline vandalization, has been arrested again.

    Majiyagbe was rearrested few weeks after he finished serving his sentence by operatives of the Inspector General of police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit at Odi Ifediwo area of Ogun state.

    He was caught vandalising another NNPC pipeline in the area.

    The suspect told The Nation that he was a security staff with NNPC before his first arrest.

    He said, “I was employed by NNPC to guard the pipeline in 2002. My records are there that my line was always protected because I never allowed vandals to go near the area where I am guarding. They (vandals) have approached me severally with thousands of naira but I refused because I wanted a clean record and hoped that I would be promoted.

    “But along the line, I discovered that NNPC officials are ingrate. They are in their offices wearing tie, while I was left in the bush to protect pipeline and I was paid stipends. We complained severally and were told that the contractor who employed us on behalf of NNPC is the one that should be held responsible.

    “I decided to help myself survive out there in the bush. Whenever they wanted to operate, I will pretend as if I never knew that they were there unless NNPC officials at the technical room discovered a drop and raised an alarm that vandals were in my area.

    It was then that I started enjoying the dividend of the job because all these while I had risked my life for nothing. Those vandals can be deadly, if you do not allow them to work. This explains why most of our security men prefer to allow them to function with impunity. Those days, I was dreaded because I used all within my reach to protect the pipeline. “

     

  • Our production rights intact, says NPDC

    The strategic alliance agreement with Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts did not include transfer of the production rights of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC), The Nation has learnt.

    This is contrary to the petition by a group called Restoration Niger Delta.

    A reliable source in NPDC, which is the exploration and production arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), told The Nation that the pact between the two parties was neither divestment of asset nor transfer of operatorship but simply an alternative funding arrangement in order to meet the NPDC’s cash call obligations in the Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 26, 30, 34 and 42 in question.

    The Restoration Niger Delta in a petition alleged an untoward transfer of 60 per cent of the 55 per cent equity holding in the form of production rights of NPDC in OMLs 26, 30, 34 and 42 to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts.

    Dismissing the petition, the NPDC source said: “There is no place in the petition where the particulars of NPDC ‘s equity interest in the OMLs were shown to have been transferred whether in part or wholly to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited in defiance of the intendment of the Procurement Act.”

  • NNPC: A year after Ajuonuma

    NNPC: A year after Ajuonuma

    At is one year since the ill-fated Dana Air saircraft that crashed in Lagos claimed one of Nigeria’s best public relations practitioner, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma.

    While he held sway as the Group General Manager (GGM), Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), hardly does a week pass without his appearing in national newspapers and television explaining one point or the other in defence of his organisation.

    He was always ready to talk on any issue concerning NNPC just to get the public to understand the workings of the oil and gas industry, especially from the perspective of the corporation. He carried out his duties as the spokesman and chief image maker of NNPC with such dexterity, professionalism and wit.

    The memories of his hardwork even resonated at the just concluded Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, United States, where he was given a post-humous Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contributions to the development of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the umbrella body of indigenous service, exploration and production companies. The award was received on behalf of his family by Emy and Michael Ajuonuma, his children.

    Ajuonuma was appointed the spokesman of the NNPC in November 2003, and for the eight years he handled the job, he was in charge of organising NNPC’s participation at OTC, a responsibility he discharged with passion and enthusiasm.

    For the years he stayed in the office, he was always controlling blows directed at NNPC, explaining to the public to understand the challenges faced by the corporation, especially in terms of allegations of inappropriate management of proceeds from the nation’s hydrocarbon.

    For his outstanding performance in his career, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the professional body of those in the business of reputation management, honoured him with its Fellowship, the highest award of the Institute.

    Long before his appointment as the spokesman of NNPC, Ajuonuma had launched himself into public consciousness as a renowned broadcaster and public relations consultant with his radio and television talk and entertainment shows such as Levi Ajuonuma Live, The Sunday Show and Showtime on NTA Network as well as The Nation Today Live on NTA Channel 10 and Open House Party on Raypower 100FM that ran from the late 1980’s through the 1990’s. His proficiency in delivering these shows led to his being dubbed ‘Larry King of Nigeria.’

    Ajuonuma was also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lasom Communications Limited – a consortium of media and public relations consultants – engaged in marketing and public relations consultancy for some organisations, including the United States Information Service, Federal Road Safety Commission and Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers, among others. He also designed and produced corporate marketing and brand promotional television programmes for blue chip companies.

    The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu and the President of PETAN, Emeka Ene, said the industry will continue to miss Ajuonuma in different ways.

    Ajuonuma started his career in 1977 as an announcer/newscaster with the Imo Broadcasting Service(IBS) in Owerri. He left IBS in 1979 and proceeded to the United States for further studies at Huntington College, Indiana, where he bagged a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He later got a Master of Arts and Ph.D in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota in 1983 and 1987. He topped these qualifications up with MBA from Plymouth State College of the University System of New Hampshire in 1989.