Embattled Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, and his counterpart in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, have resigned from their positions in national petroleum regulatory agencies.
The resignations of Engineers Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe came in wake of spirited efforts by billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, to have Farouk arrested and out on Court trial for alleged corruption and converting public funds for luxury education of his children in Switzerland.
The duo resigned on Wednesday after a meeting with Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock Abuja.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has forwarded the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as chief executive officers of the NMDPRA and NUPRC, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President in the statement said the nominations followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former Chief Executive of the NUPRC.
Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the creation of the agencies under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He stated, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked 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).
“The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“To fill these positions, 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.”
