By Meletus EZE
The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr Obafemi Olawore, has retired from the organisation after 17 years in the saddle.
He is, however, succeeded by Mr. Clement Isong. Isong, at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, said that Olawore’s exit would create a serious vacuum for the Association.
According to him, Olawore at several times champion the need for liberalisation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry to attract more investors.
Isong said having mounted the saddle as the first executive secretary of MOMAN at a time of great uncertainty, Olawore was able to advance the objectives of the organisation while championing its position at major policy dialogue sessions.
“Olawore was executive secretary of MOMAN for 17 years and his tenure was excellently managed.
“It is on record that Olawore acquitted himself well on the job, liaising with all the major regulatory organisations such as DPR, PPPRA, PEF and others supervising the operations of the downstream sector as well as forging alliances with other industry on critical industry positions.
“Olawore is a firm believer on the need for a deregulated downstream as opposed to operating in a subsidy regime where the government dictates prices.
“Olawore believes that Nigeria needs to borrow from successful market and competitive models where the market dictates prices and competition raises value and innovation to the benefit of the consumer,” he said.
The new scribe however said that the strides and achievements over the years of his predecessor would create a strong launch-pad for the next phase in the history of MOMAN.
Responding, Olawore lauded the support of the management in proving enabling environment for him to work.
The retired MOMAN scribe said Isong is equally an experienced industry professional, who previously plied his trade at Total Nigeria.
He said Isong held various senior management positions across the company’s Africa operations from Nigeria to South Africa before taking up his new appointment as the executive secretary of MOMAN.
MOMAN is an industry comprising all the major players in Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas industry, which include Total, 11Plc (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria), Conoil, Forte Oil, OVH Energy and MRS.
