Kyari bags “The Sun Man of The Year” award

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has been honoured with the “The Sun Man of The Year Award”.

The award is the biggest recognition by The Sun Publishing Company Ltd, publishers of The Sun Newspaper.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Garba Muhammad, Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, NNPC, said Kyari was bestowed with the award on Saturday in Lagos, in recognition of his efforts since becoming the GMD.

According to Muhammad, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Newspapers Ltd, Mr Onuoha Ukeh, said Kyari was honoured for his doggedness and resilience.

Ukeh said the GMD had demonstrated this in the way he managed the operations of the NNPC during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, which saw the economies of many countries across the world struggling for survival.

“Take Mele Kyari and dissect. In addition to the record breaking N287 billion profit posted for 2020, the best since inception 44 years ago, the NNPC which he heads, published the Audited Financial Statements (AFS).

“It was trailblasing and a whiff of good fortune in a beleaguered entity and time,” Ukeh was quoted as saying in the statement.

Responding, Kyari stated that the NNPC remained committed to conducting its operations with transparency and accountability.

He attributed the successes recorded by the Management Team of the NNPC to the freehand and support accorded him by President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he said never interfered in the affairs of the NNPC.

“What we have done in recent years is to ensure that we take out all the opaqueness in NNPC. We also ensured that we represent Nigerians and work for them,” he added.

While thanking the publishers of the newspaper for finding him worthy of the award, Kyari described the honour as a huge responsibility and a privilege, which will spur him to do more for the benefit of the more than 200 million Nigerians.

The NNPC spokesman said Kyari received the award at a ceremony attended by eminent Nigerians.

He listed the attendees as; Amb. Babagana Kingibe, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo.

Others included; Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Former Abia Governor Orji Kalu; captains of industries and seasoned public servants.