At 80th birthday, Nwagbara laments political interference in NNPC

Ekpu says oil sector brought blessings, woes

Second secretary of the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations between 1966 and 1967 and one of the brains behind the establishment of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chief Joel Nwagbara, has lamented political interference in the affairs of the corporation.

Nwagbara made the comment yesterday at the launch of his autobiography, Divine Designs, in Lagos to mark his 80th birthday.“So much is said in the book about NNPC, my employers for 28 years and pension providers for the past 20. It is a great and successful, even if imperfect, organisation.

“Many giant brains have worked there from the very beginning to make NNPC great. But that true greatness will not come except and until political interference is completely taken out of NNPC affairs. The moral tone of its operating environment, Nigeria, would also have to considerably change for better.”On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, MayFive Media, Ray Ekpu, said the oil boom brought both blessings and woes for the country.

His words, “When we received the manuscript of the book, we had no difficulty accepting it for publication for several reasons. It is a product of good research and recollection. It is well-written in accessible language. It is a personal and inspirational story of the rise of a young man from a poor background, in clear defiance of multiple odds, to the totem pole of success.

“It is also the corporate story of Nigeria’s behemoth, the oil industry, which has produced wealth for some and woes for others, including what has come to be known as the ‘resource curse’ for the Niger Delta people in particular and Nigeria in general.”He also linked it to the Biafran war “seen from the eyes of the author who was in the thick of it.”