Reactions have trailed Wednesday’s resignation of the of two chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Before his resignation,Engineer Farouk was embroiled in barrel imbroglio with the President of the Dangote Group,Aliko Dangote, who accused him of granting indiscriminate licenses purported to encourage increased importation and frustrate his multi billion dollars refinery.
The richest man in Africa also accused the former NMDPRA boss of spending a whooping $5million as schools fees outside the shores of Nigeria, a development he sees as evidence of sleaze on the part of the agency’s boss.
Commenting, an energy expert and president of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo said that his resignation is a good omen and right step in the right direction.
The resignation,he said, is a clean up process that should comprehensive and all embracing
He said Farouk was fighting a lost battle in the face of glaring evidence of corruption allegations against him
He implored President Bola Tinubu to cleanse the Augean table in the oil sector with a view to infusing stability therein.
He added:”Asiwaju Bola Ahmed A
should carry out surgical clean up of the entire anagement And Top Echelon of
Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission Midstream And Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority Ahmed Farouk And Gbenga Komolafe represented institutional corporate interests of the fifth columnist and corrupt clique of tiny energy mafia and cartel that have continued to hold the Nigerian economy by the jugular”
A netizen, in his verified X handle,@Imranmuhdz, posited that rue change comes only when we boldly hold our leaders accountable, like Alhaji Aliko Dangote did by exposing NMDPRA’s Farouk Ahmed for wasting billions of taxpayers’ money.
He added:”As a hardworking taxpayer, you shouldn’t sit idle while lazy officials squander your sweat.Kudos to Dangote for this courageous stand! Let’s all rise up.”
Another netizen,in his verified handle, @djokaymegamix, said resignation is not exoneration.
He said:”The ICPC must proceed with the investigation into the $7 million Swiss education claims. Public service is a trust, and if a salary of N48m cannot justify such lifestyle costs, the source of those funds must be recovered.”
Engineers Farouk Ahmed, Gbenga Komolafe resign, President Tinubu nominates successors to the Senate for approval
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has since the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed 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.
Engineer 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).
Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train.
