President Muhammadu Buhari has dropped Ifeanyi Ararume as the chairman-designate of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the chairman of the board is Margery Okadigbo (South East); while the Chief Executive Officer, is Mele Kyari, and Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya.
Previously, Ararume had been announced as the chairman of board, but the inauguration of the members was suspended.
Also announced as members of the board are Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Lami Ahmed (North Central), Mohammed Lawal (North West), Henry Obih (South East), Constance Marshal (South-South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).
Adesina said the constitution of the board is in accordance with the power vested in the President under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act he signed on August 16, 2021.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is the enterprise spurn out of the former corporation as provided for in the PIA which was signed by the President last year.
Others whose appointments were announced are Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
They are Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Dr Nuhu Habib (Kano); Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Dr Kelechi Ofoegbu (Imo); Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Captain Tonlagha John (Delta); and Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration, Jide Adeola (Kogi).
Other officials of the regulatory agencies whose appointments had been announced include the Board Chairman, CEO, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, and Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts.
Among those newly appointed at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing, Francis Ogaree (Rivers); Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa); Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund; Mansur Kuliya (Kano); Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration, Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto); and Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Dr Zainab Gobir (Kwara).
Previosuly, the Board Chairman, Executive Director, Downstream Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, the CEO, and Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, had been appointed.
Also, at the Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, new members were appointed into the Council, and they are: Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom), Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).