In a dramatic turn of events, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA has resigned from office.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Ahmed’s resignation came amid allegations of corruption levelled against him by the president of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on Monday questioning the source of funding of his four children’s education in Switzerland to the tune of $5 million.
Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC similarly tendered his resignation.
The duo’s resignation was announced by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, who in a Statehouse press release Wednesday evening, said President Tinubu has sent names of their replacements to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
While Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan was nominated as CEO of NUPRC, Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed would step in as CEO of NMDPRA.
The statement reads:
“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”.
