By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Mr Saidu Aliyu Mohammmed as new chief executive officers for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), respectively.
The president’s request follows the resignation of Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe as CEOs of the NMDPRA and NUPRC, respectively shortly after they held a meeting with the president.
It will be recalled that President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had raised various allegations against Farouk Ahmed and had written a petition against Ahmed to the Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Both Ahmed and Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
President Tinubu’s request shortly after their resignation was contained in separate letters to the Senate on Wednesday, December 17.
This was announced in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, December 17.
According to the statement, President Tinubu asked the Senate to expedite action in the confirmation of both nominees.
It read, “President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nomination of two new executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
“The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Mr Saidu Aliyu Mohammmed as CEO of NMDPRA.
“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.
“Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023-2024) and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.
“Mr Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
“His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
“He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).”
