The new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has begun work with the laying off of about 500 employees from its workforce, barely a week after it was unveiled as a commercial entity by President Muhammadu Buhari in a lavishly organised ceremony in Abuja.
According to BusinessDay standard report, NNPC sent emails to 500 staff, notifying them that their appointments have been terminated. Those affected have already received a letter terminating their appointments.
The report said the affected members of staff are those billed to retire in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Their termination letters as contained in the emails, is said to also include a ‘mouth-watering’ pay package, which among other incentives includes an offer to write off loans any of the affected staff is paying.
Aside from the juicy package for those affected, they would also be entitled to 50 per cent of their salaries until the time they are naturally expected to serve out their tenure in the company.
This is even as some of the management staff of the corporation affected have kicked against it, especially some of the general managers and group general managers.
Group Managing Director of NNPC limited, Mele Kyari, was said to have told the affected staff at a recent town hall meeting that “you may accept the package or reject it, but you are advised to take it.”
Meanwhile, the affected officials have up till the first week of August to decide, after which the company may take actions deemed necessary to relieve them of their jobs and the severance package may elude those that refused to go.
The general managers and group general managers affected are said to be agitating that they want to attain the official age of 60 before exiting the service of the national oil company.
