JUST IN: Ex-NNPC GMD, Joseph Dawha is dead

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Monday evening announced the demise of its former Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha.

Dr. Dawha, died after a brief illness, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru stated in a release on Monday.

The release said NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, expressed shock over the sudden death of Dr. Dawha who was the 16th Group Managing Director of the corporation.

Mallam Kyari said that NNPC family gravely mourned the death of the former GMD, who he noted, provided astute leadership and made immense contributions to the progress of corporation.

He described Dr. Dawha’s death as a great loss to not only NNPC but also Nigeria as a whole.

Dr. Dawha was GMD of NNPC between August, 2014 to August, 2015.

He was the GMD of the state-owned behemoth between 2014 and 2015. He succeeded Andrew Yakubu, who was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Kyari while announcing Dawha’s death on his his verified Twitter account said: “The NNPC family regrets to announce the passing away of Dr Joseph Thlama Dawha, GMD NNPC 2014- 2015 after a brief illness. We remember his astute leadership and immense contributions to the progress of the Corporation. It’s a great loss to us, the nation and the family,” he said.

Kyari did not state the cause of death.

TheNewsGuru.com reports that Dawha’s death comes weeks after another ex-GMD of the Corporation Maikanti Baru died.

Dawha, from Biu in Borno state joined the NNPC in 1988 and retired in 2015.

He had Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical engineering from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1977 and a Master’s of Science in the same discipline in 1985.

He also had a doctorate in chemical engineering in 1988.