BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN – GROUP MANAGING Director [GMD], Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC], Engr. Augustine Oniwon has said that it was not going to be business as usual in the corporation as the corporation  has embarked on transformation that would lead to growth of the petroleum industry.

He also vowed that he would not supervise the collapse of the Petroleum industry, but insisted that “we will supervise the growth of an industry that is not only self-sustaining but one that would boost the economy of the country”.

Represented by the Group Executive Director [Exploration and Production], Engr. Andrew Yakubu, during the prize presentation of 2nd NNPC Upstream Golf Tournament in Benin City over the weekend, Engr. Oniwon, urged staffers of the conglomerate to plant seeds that would make Nigeria grow and to make the economy grow from strength to strength.

According to him, “just like any industry and also government, NNPC has devised transformation as we believe that it is only by this spirit that we will grow. Not only growing by being able to sustain ourselves, but growing by telling ourselves that it is not going to be business as usual, because if we do so, we will aggressively collapse”.

“And because we take it as an option to embark on transformation, every arm of NNPC must key in. It is gratifying to some of us today that we will not supervise the collapse of our industry, but we will supervise the growth of an industry and by the time it is ripe for us which is very soon, for us to exit, we will hand over a growing industry that will sustain the future and boost significantly the economy of Nigeria.

While thank participants of the tournament for taking time out to interact with one another, he said that they’ve had to work with one another and network with one another and urged them to always remember to also plant seeds that would not only make Nigeria grow  but its economy.

“This is the little we can do to contribute to growth of democracy and commit ourselves to more dedicated services to our father land”, he stated.

The NNPC boss disclosed that Upstream Golf Tournament was a child given birth by Benin through the former GMD, Dr. Jackson Gauis-Obaseki adding that in that spirit, Benin City would continue to host the game.

While appreciating  the growth and aspiration of NPDC, one of its subsidiaries for hosting this tournament, he noted that it is always very important that “we will not only roll this game in future for the sake of promoting the game of golf, but we will make it a point of duty to celebrate milestone achievements of our steady and well calculated growth in Exploration and Production.

Earlier, the duo of Engineers Abiye Membere, Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company [NPDC] and Dr. Joseph Dawha, Managing Director of Integrated Data Services Limited [IDSL who hosted the 2011 and 2010 tournament respectively, explained that idea behind the Corporation’s Golf Tournament was to bring all persons in the Upstream sector to come and relax, play golf and knbow each other as well as keep fit.

According to them, the turnout of about 240 participants to the golf tournament was an eloquent testimony that the objectives have been achieved.

Highlight of the one-day tournament was the presentation of prizes to the overall male and female winner by the former GMD of NNPC, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki and his wife Roxanna respectively.

However, the star prize, a Toyota Corolla car donated by Mandillas could not be won as none of the participants was able to get the hole-in-one.