By Waliat Musa and Silver Nwokoro

Petroleum industry experts have raised the alarm over what they described as an irregular appointment to the reconstituted board of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), warning that the move violates the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

In a statement signed by Abolade Adewale, the experts called on President Bola Tinubu to reverse the appointment of Mr Aminu Said Ahmed, a senior manager at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources’ (MPR) representative on the board.

Citing Section 59(2)(d) of the PIA 2021, the group emphasised that only officials from the ministry, not staff of regulatory agencies are eligible to represent the MPR on the board.

According to them, the law stipulates that such a representative must be not be below the rank of a director, claiming Ahmed is a Grade Level 14 officer at the NMDPRA, an independent agency separate from the ministry.

“This appointment is inconsistent with the PIA and a grand conspiracy to usurp the role of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources,” the statement read in part.
MEANWHILE, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged the newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, to prioritise transparency, accountability and institutional reforms as he takes over the helms of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Ojulari assumed office last Friday following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and has been tasked with steering the NNPCL at a critical juncture for the nation’s economy.

In a statement signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society and anti-corruption organisation set a five-point agenda for his leadership.

Suraju emphasised the importance of transparency in contracting processes and financial disclosures, aligning operations with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He also highlighted the need for bold anti-corruption measures, including independent audits and investigations into legacy issues such as crude oil theft, procurement fraud, operational inefficiencies, and environmental despoliation of oil corporations.

HEDA charged Ojulari to champion transparency and reform in the oil and gas sector, among others.