NNPC’s Public Affairs chief among dead in Lagos plane crash
USAfrica Breaking News
Special to USAfricaonline.com, the USAfrica-powered e-groups of Nigeria360, IgboEvents, UNNalumni, and CLASSmagazine Houston. Follow us at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido and Twitter.com/Chido247
By Chido Nwangwu
June 3, 2012: Group General Manager, Corporate Affairs of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Levi 
Ajuonuma, according to USAfricaonline.com reliable sources, died in today’s June 3, 2012 plane crash in Lagos.
He was very active in the media prior to his appointment. USAfrica can also confirm that shortly after the appointment of Mrs. Dieziani Allison-Madueke as Minster for Petroleum in April 2010, Ajuonuma acted both as NNPC exec and as media/special projects coordinator for the Minister.
In January 2012, amidst the scandal and crises over the payments of billions of Naira to oil and petroleum products Marketers who do business with NNPC and the allegation of corruption and unlawful payments to some NNPC officials, Nigeria ports authority and maritime officials, retired Generals and several government officials, false stories filled the web and text messaging claiming Levi had resigned over the corruption allegations. It was, he confirmed, false and he was firmly at his desk.
Evidently, he had a very rewarding and potent position as NNPC’s public affairs chief and a confidante of the influential and resourceful Minister Allison-Madueke.
One of USAfrica’s contacts who is close to both the Minister
and Levi told me: “The Minister trusted Levi and appreciated his dedication to her assignments.”
I met with Levi 4 times in Houston, Texas, across 5 years; and the last one being the final week of the Offshore Technology Conference OTC 2011 (May 1st and 2nd, 2011).
Many of his friends and colleagues are shocked and saddened by his sudden, tragic death.
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