Rivers Crisis: Tinubu Appoints Wike’s Chief of Staff To Head ‘Juicy’ Oil Agency

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Chukwuemeka Woke, a former chief of Staff to Nyesom Wike as the Director General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA.

The appointment was contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy on Wednesday.

Recall that Woke served as former Governor Wike’s chief of staff for many years. He was recently appointed as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA by the president.

His appointment into the ‘lucrative’ oil agency, according to those watching the political crisis in Rivers state between Wike, now FCT minister and Governor Simi Fubara has further proved the influence of the former governor in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Magnus Abe, a chieftain of the APC in the state recently described Wike as very powerful and one of the influential officials in Tinubu’s administration.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan while speaking on the crisis in the oil rich state also described Wike and Fubara, his former political ally as “young’ and “powerful”.

The FCT minister must have brought his influence to the table in ensuring that those close to him received government appointments.

Onanuga in the statement said Woke has been redeployed to NOSDRA while the President has appointed Dr Adedeji Ashiru to replace him in OORBDA.

Below is the statement titled “PRESIDENT TINUBU GIVES WOKE ANOTHER JOB, APPOINTS ASHIRU AS CEO OGUN-OSUN RIVER BASIN”

President Bola Tinubu has reassigned Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) as its director general.

Woke was initially given the job as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA).

To replace Woke as head of the OORBDA, President Tinubu has appointed Dr. Adedeji Ashiru.

Woke, besides being an engineer, is an environmental specialist and politician. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering. He  served under the environmental, safety, and operations departments of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He was Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State and Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, for many years.

Dr. Ashiru holds a Doctorate degree in Engineering from the Common Wealth University, UK, and has led a consortium of blue-chip companies, in addition to earning many stripes in his professional endeavour.