FORMER Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha, is dead.
The NNPC announced the former GMD’s death in a statement, on Monday, signed by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Kennie Obateru, saying he passed away after a brief illness.
Dawha was the 16th GMD of the state-owned oil giant. He led the corporation from August 1, 2014, to August 4, 2015, during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
“The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) regrets to announce the demise of its former Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha. Dr Dawha died after a brief illness,” the statement said.
It quoted the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, as saying that Dawha provided astute leadership and made immense contributions to the progress of the corporation.
He described Dawha’s death as a great loss not only to NNPC but also to Nigeria as a whole.
Dawha hails from Biu in Borno State and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical engineering from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1977, a Master’s of Science in the same discipline in 1985 and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering in 1988.
Dawha’s death comes just about two months after death of the immediate past GMD of the NNPC, Dr Maikantu Baru, who died at a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.
