Buhari drops Ararume for Okadigbo’s widow as NNPC chair

Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the board and management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

A statement by his spokesman Femi Adesina on Wednesday said the board’s chairman is Margret Okadigbo (southeast); CEO, Mele Kyari; and chief financial officer, Umar Ajiya.

Margret is the widow of former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo. She replaces Ifeanyi Ararume who was earlier appointed board chairman.

Other board members are Tajudeen Umar (northeast), Lami Ahmed (northcentral), Mohammed Lawal (northwest), Henry Obih (southeast), Constance Marshal (southsouth), and Pius Akinyelure (southwest).

The statement said executive commissioners were also appointed for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

They include the executive commissioner (EC), development and production, Nuhu Habib (Kano); EC, economic regulations and strategic planning, Kelechi Ofoegbu (Imo); EC, health, safety, environment and community, Capt. Tonlagha John (Delta); and EC, corporate services and administration, Jide Adeola (Kogi).

Earlier appointed are the board chairman; the 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 the executive director, hydrocarbon processing, Francis Ogaree (Rivers); executive director, health, safety, environment and community, Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa); executive director, midstream and downstream gas infrastructure fund; Mansur Kuliya (Kano); executive director, corporate services and administration, Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto); and executive director, economic regulations and strategic planning, Zainab Gobir (Kwara).

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 arw Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom), Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).