By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

The new General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Alhaji Garba Deen Mohammed, is one of the best things that happened to the nation’s oil industry regulator in recent time.

Deen, a professional and former president, Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), was reappointed not only to occupy the position in the current dispensation, but deploy his wealth of experience needed at this crucial point in Nigeria’s oil industry.

Coming at a time the age-long Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), was signed into law and transformed into Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the needed wealth of experience is expected to handle the image of NNPC as the corporation moves towards rationalization, unbundling and initiation of numerous policies and programmes.

With the return of Mohammed, the controversy surrounding the removal of oil subsidy, contributions to FAAC by NNPC and other vital statutory functions of the oil regulator will be streamlined to serve the Nigerian public with adequate information.

His potential and dexterity was already assessed by his employer, hence the resolve to reappoint him as the chief image-maker of the oil company to facilitate the new turn of events in the industry.

Since information play a very crucial role in the current dispensation, particularly in this era of social media and other outlets of communication that will trend to militate against the traditional mode of dishing out official statements, it behooves on the new helmsman to adjust the system towards the new trend and the body language of the present order.

The information and misinformation that heralded the new media will not augur well for a transparent leadership in the nation's oil sector yearning for diversification into many investments.

The body language of the new NNPC must be in line with the present realities and the image of the corporation geared towards churning out a reliable information.

The new image-maker no doubt will reposition the nation's oil company, with a view to providing a level playing ground to the players in that sector by giving accurate and reliable data and information.

With euphoria of celebrations that greeted the reappointment of Mohammed, there is no doubt that his return will usher in a more professional and sane touch to information that will be made available to the general public.

•Yusuf, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja: yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.

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