Stakeholders Fault Appointment of NMDPRA’s Ahmed to NNPC Board
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that concerns have emerged within the oil and gas industry regarding an alleged irregularity in the recent reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) Board.
Disquiet and condemnation have trailed the appointment of Aminu Said Ahmed, purportedly a Grade Level 14 officer and Senior Manager at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), as the representative of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources on the board.
It was argued that the appointment sharply contrasts with the representation from the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), which is represented on the same board by its Permanent Secretary, in compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The reaction was articulated in a statement signed and released by Mr Abolade Adewale on behalf of concerned stakeholders, who called for the immediate reversal of Ahmed’s appointment.
The statement contended that the appointment violates Section 59(2)(d) of the PIA 2021, which stipulates that the NNPC Ltd Board shall consist of “a representative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR), not below the rank of a Director.”
The group insisted that the NMDPRA is an independent regulatory agency, distinct from the Ministry, and therefore, its staff cannot represent the MPR on the board.
It was noted that the appointment was inconsistent with the provisions of Section 59(2)(d) of the PIA 2021 and constitutes an attempt to undermine the Ministry at all costs.
They urged His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to uphold institutional parity by appointing a Permanent Secretary from the MPR to the board.
The PIA requires that a representative of the MPR and the FMF, both not below the rank of a Director, be appointed as members of the board. Consequently, the appointment of the Permanent Secretary of the FMF as a board member aligns with the provisions of the PIA, whereas Aminu Said Ahmed is neither a Director nor a staff member of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
According to the statement, the Ministry should lead delegations to bodies such as the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as mandated by Section 3(1)(d) of the PIA, condemning the practice of assigning non-Ministry officials to such roles based on nepotism, raising concerns over institutional memory and reputational risks.
“We therefore respectfully submit that all nominations for international engagements on petroleum-related matters should be made strictly among serving officials of the MPR through formal appointment by the Minister, as permitted under the law,” added Adewale.
They called for a reaffirmation of statutory compliance and institutional mandate, urging the President to reverse the appointment of Aminu Said Ahmed and to endorse a senior officer from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, specifically the Permanent Secretary, to ensure parity with the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance as a member of the NNPC Ltd Board.
