A group of Lagos State indigenes, under the aegis of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, have pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently confirm the appointment of Dr. Adebimpe Foluso Pearce, a representative of the state in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, who they said had “been stagnant” as the organization’s Acting managing director since 2023 without confirmation.
Dr. Pearce (MBBS) joined NNPC in April 1992 as a Medical officer, rose through the ranks, became a Deputy Manager, Occupational Health in 2007 as one of the youngest, and three years later in 2010 became a full-time manager.
She managed Mosimi Zone from 2013 to 2016 and also Lagos medical zone from May 2016 till September 2023 when she moved to Abuja as Acting MD, NNPC Medical Services. She retires next year.
The group made the call on Sunday in a statement issued and jointly signed by its President, Prince Adelani Adeniji-Adele and Secretary General, Mr Yomi Tokosi, respectively, copy of which was made available to newsmen, expressing concern about “issue of representation and marginalization,” which it said “had been agitating the minds of the indigenes of Lagos State.”
This was just as the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation dispelled the misconception that President Tinubu’s government was fully loaded with those referred to as “Lagos boys,” saying that the fact of the matter is that most of the so-called “Lagos boys,” who were beneficiaries of the appointments were not indigenes of Lagos State, but indigenous to other states.
According to the group, just two of the personal aides of President Tinubu were recognized by it as bonafide indigenes of Lagos State, namely: the Chief of Staff (COS) to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, with the Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Mr. Yemi Cardoso being the third person.
De Renaissance Patriots Foundation said the clarification became imperative to let Nigerians know that Lagos State had not unduly benefited from the present administration and to also seize the opportunity to appeal to Mr. President to treat Lagos State indigenes fairly and equally in his appointments by giving “Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar.”
The group, while urging President Tinubu to urgently address the concern of indigenous Lagosians concerning the plight of the Ag MD of NNPC Limited, Dr. Pearce, to reflect federal character in the organization, quickly recalled the lamentation by “the National Chairman of Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, in an interview with Arise TV where he expressed the Urhobo people’s discontent with their absence from key roles in the oil and gas sector.”
According to De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Ominimini, in the interview, noted that out of the 55 Chief Executives in the NNPC, 36 were from Northern Nigeria, while only 16 represented the entire Southern region, with the Urhobo people completely left out of the scheme of things “not only at the Federal level but also at the state level.”
“We share these sentiments as reflective of our own situation.
“This has made us look into our state’s representation in NNPC. We could only identify one indigene at that level and the person’s career progression has been thwarted unfairly for some time.
“We reference Dr. Adebimpe Foluso Pearce (MBBS) who joined NNPC in April 1992 as a Medical Officer and rose through the ranks and became a Deputy Manager, Occupational Health in 2007 (one of the youngest). She became a full Manager 3 years later in 2010.
“She managed Mosimi Zone 2013 to 2016 also Lagos Medical zone from May 2016 till September 2023 and moved to Abuja as Acting MD, NNPC Medical Services and had stagnated on the acting position since then even after the substantive holder of that position had retired.
“Against the normal trend of things, she ought to have been confirmed. She retires next year,” the group stated.
De Renaissance Patriots Foundation wishes to draw attention to the above, hoping that the concerns of our people will be addressed,” it added.
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