One feels proud whenever his brother is doing well and feels humiliated and embarrassed when his own does bad. This is because if your own succeeds, he will make good image not only for himself but to all his brethren. That is why a popular hausa adage says ‘Nagari Na Kowa, Mugu Sai Mai shi’ (Meaning a good son belongs to all and sundry while the bad one belongs to only his parent).
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr Mai Kanti Kachalla Barau is indeed a good son and ambassador of our dear state, Bauchi state, because he proved to be a technocrat, disciplined, brilliant and successful public officer who contributed immensely to the development of the nation.
He was appointed GMD of the nation’s petroleum company sometime in July 2016 not because he had a godfather, not because of his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari or any political reasons but base on his track records, integrity, probity, honesty and above all competence, the qualities he exhibited in all the previous positions he held.
Born in July 1959, Baru is a native of Jama’are local government area of Bauchi state.He is a fellow of the Nigerian society of Engineers and is well respected within the profession.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, where he obtained Bachelor of Engineering with first class honours. He also holds Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering. Untill his appointment, he was the Special Adviser (Upstream) to the Minister of state for petroleum.
Before he was appointed special adviser, he was NNPC’s Group Executive Director, Exploitation and Production. He was onetime director of the company’s owned Carlson Services (UK) and was also Group General Manager, Liquefied Natural Gas.
Other positions he held in the past include, GGM, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NNPC’s Chief technical negotiator on the west African Gas pipeline project from 1999 to 2004 etc.
We give thanks God almighty that he is the Chief Executive of the Corporation today and has proven to be an achiever within the last two years in office.
Readers may be interested to know what achievements he had recorded within the period under review and here are some of them.
First of all, it is worthy to know that he contributed towards bringing the country from recession in recent time and the revitalization of our econony as well as implementation of several interventions parts of the nation in the areas of health, education which significantly improved the plight of citizens. In july this year, he doanted the sum of N100 million to the victims of windstorm in Bauchi and Azare market fire disasters in order to bring succour to the masses.
Another impactful projects he carried out in the oil sector include,the Seven Crititcal Gas Development Project (7CGDP), 614 kilometer Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline project, issuing updated oil and gas policy to enable NNPC raise more money in the capital market for the execution of more oil and gas projects in 2018 and beyond. Such projects include, NNPC/naoc jv Idu-Redevelopment, South Gas Project, North Gas Project and Central Gas Projects etc. I am happy that the corporation is also excavating oil in some northern states Bauchi inclusive and the work is currently in progress.
These programs have without gainsaying resulted in the speedy economic recovery and in turn led to the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). All these were achieved due to his his prudence, brilliance, intelligence and diligence he applied in the management of the oil company, the major source of revenue of the nation.
We the People of Bauchi state say kudos to you sir for looking at things in their proper perspectives, for being a good ambassador of the state, north east and the entire north. Sir your compass is pointing to the right direction.
Saleh writes from Bauchi via 08065979552.
