By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Senator Margery Chuba Okadigbo as the new Chairman of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
She is the wife of late former Senate President, Mr Chuba Okadigbo. She will replace Mr Ifeanyi Ararume, who was appointed four months ago.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari made the appointment in accordance with the power handed to him in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The Group General Manager of the company, Mr Mele Kolo Kyari, was named the Chief Executive Officer, and Mr Umar I. Ajiya, was made the Chief Financial Officer of the state oil company.
Other members of the board include; 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).
According to the statement, the appointments take effect from the date of the incorporation of NNPC Limited.
Also appointed are Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
These are Mr Nuhu Habib (Kano), Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Mr Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu (Imo), Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Mr Tonlagha Roland John (Delta), Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, and Mr Jide Adeola (Kogi), Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration.
Earlier appointed were the Board Chairman, CEO, Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, and Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts.
In a similar vein, the new appointees at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are Mr Francis Alabo Ogaree (Rivers), Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing, Mr Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa), Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mr Mansur Kuliya (Kano), Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, Mr Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto), Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration, and Mr 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), Mr Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Mr Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).
The presidency had in September 2021 announced the composition of the Board and management of the company, naming Mr Ararume as chairman, but did not inaugurate the appointees.
The statement further reminds that President Buhari had in 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.
