By John Ikani
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Senator Margret Chuba Okadigbo as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Margret is the wife of former President of the Senate and running mate to President Buhari in 2007 under the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), late Senator Chuba Okadigbo.
She replaces Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who was earlier appointed as Chairman of the Board on September 19, 2021.
According to a statement by Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, the appointment takes effect from the date of the incorporation of the NNPC Limited.
Heritage Times gathered that Ararume from Imo State was dropped because of the internal political crisis between Governor Hope Uzodinma and Rochas Okorocha. Ararume and Okorocha are loyal to another faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
What the Presidency is saying
The statement read: “President Muhammad Buhari has appointed the Board and Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in accordance with the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
“Chairman of the Board is Senator Margret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Mele Kolo Kyari, Chief Executive Officer, and Umar I. Ajiya, Chief Financial Officer.
“Other Board Members are; Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Engr. Henry Obih (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South-South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure(South West).
“The appointments take effect from the date of the incorporation of the NNPC Limited.
“Also appointed are Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. They are Dr Nuhu Habib (Kano), Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Dr Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu (Imo), Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Capt. Tonlagha Roland John (Delta), Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, and Jide Adeola (Kogi), Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration.
“Earlier appointed are the Board Chairman, CEO, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, and Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts.
“New appointees at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are Francis Alabo Ogaree (Rivers), Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing, Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa), Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mansur Kuliya (Kano), Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto), Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration, and Dr. Zainab Gobir (Kwara), Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning.
“They join the Board Chairman, Executive Director, Downstream Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, the CEO, and Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, who had earlier been appointed.
“For Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, new Council Members are; Mr. Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom), Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Engr. Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).
“It will be recalled that President Buhari had last September written the Senate on the administrative structure amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act, which included the appointment of Non-Executive Board Members, removal of the Ministries of Petroleum and Finance from the Board of the two new institutions, and appointment of Executive Directors.”
