* As Tinubu forwards names of Mohammed, Eyesan to Senate as replacement
By El-ameen Ibrahim, Abuja
In what can be regarded as unprecedented whistleblowing against the untouchables, following their connections at the corridors of power, the controversy over the alleged financial impropriety raised by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote against the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Ahmed Farouk, that he spent $7million for payment of school fees for his children in Switzerland, has claimed the heads of two oil regulatory agencies.
The development has led to the sudden resignations of Farouk and the CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe.
Dangote had earlier petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Farouk over alleged illicit educational expenditures for his children totaling $7million, which Dangote claimed Ahmed could not have legally earned in his role.
But the fallout was swift. Within 24 hours of Dangote’s complaint, both Ahmed Farouk and Gbenga Komolafe, resigned, creating a vacuum at the helm of the two federal agencies.
Farouk was said to have resigned after his visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday while he declined to speak with State House correspondents about the outcome of the meeting.
But President Tinubu has moved decisively to fill the two vacancies without further delay. The Spokesman to the President, Bayo Onanuga, also disclosed that, “President Bola Tinubu asked the Senate to speedily approve the nominations of the two new chief executives for NMDPRA and NUPRC.”
According to a statement made available on Wednesday by Onanuga, the new appointees are seasoned veterans of Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Engr Saidu Mohammed has been named as the new helmsman of NMDPRA, while Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan will lead NUPRC.
The statement reads in part, “ President Tinubu’s 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.”
It is instructive to note that the swift resignations and immediate appointments underscore the high stakes and growing tensions within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, placing President Tinubu at the center of a critical regulatory shake-up sparked by one of Africa’s most influential businessmen.
