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However, all of the recommended names are from an old list prepared by the previous OGDC board. The previous board, formed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, had made several attempts to get the company head appointed, but failed due to the nomination of people from companies working as contractors of OGDC.
State-owned OGDC is the only company that has picked candidates selected by the previous board whereas boards of all other public sector oil and gas companies have started the process afresh and advertised the post.
The new OGDC board, formed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, has recommended four names for the post of managing director.
One candidate is from a contracting company and his name was also earlier recommended by the previous board. However, he lacks experience of working in oil and gas exploration companies.
The other candidate recommended by the board is currently working on a key post in OGDC. He was appointed by the previous board and now the new board has recommended him for the slot of managing director.
However, he is facing investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and his name is also among those OGDC officials who have been recently placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). The third candidate has experience of working in the oil and gas exploration sector. He is the country manager of Kufpec.
In another move, the bureaucracy has managed to depute Deputy Secretary Rohail Aziz Quidwai, a BS-19 officer of the Secretariat Group, in OGDC by bypassing the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), according to notifications available with The Express Tribune.
In the first notification issued on July 16, the deputy secretary posted in the Prime Minister’s Office was transferred to the Petroleum Division. Later, the bureaucracy built pressure on the Petroleum Division to place him in OGDC. However, the Petroleum Division refused to send him to OGDC on deputation.
In the second notification issued on July 19, the Establishment Division transferred the deputy secretary directly to OGDC on deputation. There was resentment amongst senior officers of the company.
A Petroleum Division spokesperson defended the move, saying he had been posted under Section 10 of the Civil Services Act.
The OGDC board has also approved the appointment of PTI-affiliated Shoaib Baig as Executive Director Human Resource. The board has sent him offer letter for joining the company.
The board has appointed another person Amir Saleem as Executive Director Petroserv, an in-house technical services division, at a hefty package of Rs1.4 million per month. In the past, the managing directors had been drawing salary of Rs1.6 million.
The company has offered him letter for accepting the job for a two-year period, according to sources. Responding to a request for comment, OGDC said Shoaib Baig had been hired as Executive Director Human Resource through a competitive process on the basis of his qualification, experience and competency.
“There is absolutely no question of extending any preferential treatment on the basis of someone’s social or political inclination. Baig was interviewed and evaluated purely as an HR professional,” it said.
Earlier, an OGDC spokesperson had told The Express Tribune “the board discharges its duties independently and objectively. The process of appointing the MD is being undertaken strictly in accordance with applicable rules and the board’s mandate. Final decision on selection and appointment vests with the federal government.”
At the same time, a Petroleum Division spokesperson said the OGDC board of directors had been asked to look into it. “It had the option to either review/re-interview the candidates already shortlisted or undertake the exercise afresh. The board has re-interviewed and will now decide. If it feels an appropriate panel is available, it will go ahead. Otherwise, the process will be started afresh.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2019.
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