President Bola Tinubu has invoked the urgency provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act in seeking the swift confirmation of new leadership for Nigeria’s upstream, midstream and downstream petroleum regulators, a request that set the stage for the Senate’s screening of his nominees on Thursday.
The Senate, which screened Engineer Saidu Muhammad and Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan during a session of the Committee of the Whole, is expected to confirm both nominees on Friday.
At plenary, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, announced that two separate letters from President Tinubu had been received, requesting Senate approval for the appointment of chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), “in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.”
While reading the first letter, Akpabio said Tinubu nominated Engineer Saidu Muhammad as Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA pursuant to Section 41(6) of the Act.
The President explained that the nomination followed the resignation of the immediate past head of the authority and warned that delays could create a leadership vacuum in an agency responsible for sensitive midstream and downstream functions, including the authorisation of vessel movements.
“I hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominee expeditiously,” Tinubu said, while assuring the Senate leadership of his highest regard.
Citing the strategic importance of the role and the limited time available, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for immediate screening.
In the second letter, Tinubu sought Senate confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, “in line with Section 11(3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.”
The President said the nomination was necessitated by the resignation of the commission’s immediate past chief executive and urged the Senate to act swiftly to maintain stability and continuity in the regulation of the upstream petroleum sector.
That request was equally referred to the Committee of the Whole for prompt consideration.
The screening exercise was held at Senate Room 117, where both nominees appeared alongside their delegations ahead of deliberations by the Senate.
On Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that President Tinubu asked the Senate to approve the nominations of new chief executives for Nigeria’s two key oil and gas regulatory agencies following the resignation of their current heads.
In a State House press release issued on Wednesday, the President said he had forwarded the names of the nominees to the upper legislative chamber after Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) stepped down from office.
The statement noted that both Ahmed and Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the regulators established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
According to the Presidency, Tinubu has requested “expedited confirmation” of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.
On Tuesday, Africa’s richest man and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption, abuse of office and illicit enrichment by NMDPRA MD, Ahmed.
Dangote, in the petition dated December 16 and addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), demanded the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Ahmed, accusing him of living far above his legitimate means as a public servant.
According to the petition, Ahmed allegedly spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paying school fees upfront for six years.
The businessman noted that the amount could not be justified by the total earnings of a career public servant.
The businessman reportedly named the four children, their schools and the specific sums paid for each of them, urging the anti-graft agency to verify the claims and establish what he described as “clear evidence of corrupt enrichment.”
Dangote further alleged that the NMDPRA chief abused his office by diverting public funds for personal use, accusing him of deploying the regulatory authority as an instrument for embezzlement and the pursuit of private interests to the detriment of Nigerians.
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