Zik Gbemre

As the current Country Chair/Managing Director of the Royal Dutch Oil Company based in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, bows out of office soonest, the question of who takes over the mantle of leadership becomes very expedient to put into consideration and find answers to.

Indeed, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu won the hearts of many with several qualities notably; he was painstaking, open doors, erudite, accommodating, slow to anger, humble, detribalized, tested and trusted, an ambassador devoid of mediocrity, megalomania and above all intelligent. These facts were also recognized by the Federal Government of Nigeria which was quickly followed by the prestigious award of the National title/Honour – CON (Commander of The Order of The Niger), by the President of Nigeria Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, recently.  It is therefore crucial to state here that no Nigerian Oil Chief has ever received such a National Honour award.

The ‘oil Baron’ Mr. Sunmonu, is also known to have received tens of titles (many he had refused) from several host communities where Shell Nigeria operates.  In these host communities, choruses of praises are opened and sang like church Hymn books even in the face of oil exploration challenges.

This unprecedented development in the history of oil exploration and production, particularly in the Niger delta, should not be left unabated if the status quo must be retained and maintained without a paradox. Hence, it is “Who The Cap Fits” that should only be considered to take over from Mr. Sunmonu, so as to continue with the good legacy he is leaving behind, and not some ‘desk-top’ or ‘sycophant’ individuals that do not have what it takes to deliver.

In other words, the next Managing Director/Country Chair of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has to be someone that first, has a vast experience in Gas Production, especially now that the whole world is aiming for cleaner sources of energy, which gas production offers. The next Shell (SPDC) MD/Country Chair should also been someone that was an Asset Manager and has gathered that level of expertise, just like Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu who was once the Asset Manager Southern in Shell (SPDC) Western Swamp (Area C) Operations, Delta and Bayelsa States.

Let us reiterate here that it is not a question of one being a Vice President or Director (through ‘who-know-man’) in Shell Nigeria that qualifies one to become the next MD/Country Chair, but it is about one having the vast requisite technical experiences and ‘character’ to adequately handle the demands of that office. The next MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC) has to be someone that is ‘firm’ and has proven his or herself to be a ‘dependable’ and ‘reliable’ Executive not just for Shell as a whole but also for the locals of the host communities in Shell operation areas of Nigeria. The next Shell Nigeria MD/Country Chair has to be someone that has an ‘independent’ mind yet ‘humble’, and can use his/her discretion and wisdom to address host communities issues affecting locals before they go out of proportion, as well as issues bothering junior Shell staffs too. That is, the next Shell Nigeria MD/Country Chair has to be someone that will not look down on host communities’ stakeholders as well as Shell junior staffs. Otherwise, host community issues will often snowball into unanticipated crises while junior Shell staffs that do not have a voice, will suffer greatly, particularly those that have served the company greatly for years but yet, are sent out through the back door without nothing. We know exactly what we are saying based on recent happenings, so this is no exaggeration.

There are people who pretend to be good but in actual fact, they are not; the relevant authorities in Shell Hague should consider these facts in appointing the next MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC). If possible, those considered to be eligible for the position of MD/Country Chair of Shell Nigeria, should be made to come out and contest for the position through ‘rigorous tests’, both written and oral tests on the technical knowledge of the oil and gas operations of Shell Nigeria.

It is now unavoidable to prevent the oil reach communities and indeed the Nigeria people from weeping if the sad error of replacement is executed by misguided judgments on the part of the Royal Dutch Management, sequel to our earlier write ups on this issue.

Many Nigerians are currently waiting with anxiety as to who would take over and continue the good works of Mr. Muitu Sunmonu. Relevant authorities and Shell Management in The Shell Hague, should therefore be very thorough before naming the next Shell (SPDC) MD/Country Chair.