NNPC Board: Buhari Drops Ararume, Replaces Him With Okadigbo

By Uche Mbah

In a not- so surprise move, President Muhammadu Buhari reconstituted the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, and dropped Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as Chairman.

The President replaced him with the wife of a former Senate President, Margery Okadigbo.

Her husband, late Senator Chuba Okadigbo, was once a running mate to Buhari.

The removal of Ararume is a big blow to him, and a minus to his political profile which has been on the downside for a couple years. He has been on the losing side.

When he was appointed to the Chairmanship of the NNPC Board by the President on September 19 2021, Ararume and his political associates celebrated no end. They were almost mocking Governor Hope Uzodimma, and literally equating Ararume’s appointment to the office of the Governor.

Even though Ararume is an APC member, he is in former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s camp, a camp bitterly opposed to Governor  Uzodimma, and which members have refused to validate their membership of the APC. The impression they created was that Buhari, by the appointment was passing a message to Uzodimma; that he had snubbed the Governor for Ararume.

But the sign that Ararume could lose the appointment showed when the President suddenly  suspended the inauguration of the Board and Management which was scheduled for November, 23, 2021.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina announced the reconstitution of the Board on Wednesday, December, 5, 2022.  Ararume’s name  was conspicuously missing.

The statement read:

“President Muhammadu 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″, he said.

“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.”