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Former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, has claimed the organisation was the first to adopt an anti-corruption posture among all Federal Government agencies.
Baru, speaking at his valedictory address in Abuja on Monday, stated that he was made the chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the NNPC unexpectedly shortly after the erstwhile chairman passed away.
The event was attended by the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu; and former GMDs of the NNPC, among others.
Baru said, “Today, people have been surprised: ‘What is the EFCC doing here? Are they coming to carry the GMD?’ He came with a badge for me that with my anti-corruption campaign being forced on me by Kupolokun when he was the GMD, I never forget it.
“The NNPC was the very first agency to imbibe that government drive of fighting corruption. I recall the passage of the bill for the ICPC was in September 2000 or the assent.
“And the NNPC in October 2000 inaugurated an in-house anti-corruption committee to leverage on that Act. So, when people talk about transparency and integrity, the NNPC had always watched out for infractions and corruption.”
The NNPC boss said he had visited the then NNPC GMD, Kupolokun, who he described as his mentor, when he learnt that he should assume office as the anti-corruption committee chairman of the corporation.
He said, “I had made a routine visit to Kupolokun but little did I know that he had something on his mind. As I walked in, he was about to go down with the executive secretary of the corporation and other top management executives.
“He then told the secretary, ‘I am going to make Baru the chairman.’ I said, ‘Chairman of what?’ And he just held my hand and we went into the lift. I didn’t know what I was going to be chair of.”
Baru thanked Kupolokun for his influence on his career.
Punch
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