President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, dropped Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as Board Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
In his place, he announced the appointment of Senator Margrey Chuba-Okadigbo, wife of the late former President of the Senate, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, to represent the South East.
The Nigerian leader, had in September 2021, announced the composition of the board and management of the company, with Ararume as chairman but did not inaugurate the appointees.
Accordingly, Mele Kolo Kyari is Chief Executive Officer, and Umar Ajiya as Chief Financial Officer.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, explained that the President’s decision is in accordance with the powers vested in him under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Other board members are Dr. Tajudeen Umar (North East); Mrs. Lami Ahmed (North Central); Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West); Henry Obih (South East); Constance Harry Marshal (South South) and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).
The appointments take effect from the date of the incorporation of NNPC Limited.
IN the interim, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the appointment of Dr. Doyin Salami by the President as Chief Economic Adviser as a “design to make the economist a scapegoat for the abysmal failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the main opposition party said: “It is evident that Dr. Salami might end up being rubbished and diminished as a titular adviser given that the Buhari Presidency and the APC, in their ignorance, arrogance and incompetence, are never known to have any respect or regard for professional advice on governance and policy.”
Besides, Buhari also appointed Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. They are: Dr Nuhu Habib (Kano), Executive Commissioner, Development and Production; Dr. Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu (Imo), Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning; Capt. Tonlagha Roland John (Delta), Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community and Jide Adeola (Kogi), Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration.
Earlier appointed were the Board Chairman, CEO, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, as well as Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts.
New appointees at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are Francis Alabo Ogaree (Rivers), Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing; Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa), Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community; Mansur Kuliya (Kano), Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund; Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto), Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration and Dr. Zainab Gobir (Kwara), Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning.
They join the Board Chairman, Executive Director, Downstream Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, the CEO and Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, who had earlier been appointed.
For Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, new council members are Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom); Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa) and Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).
