…Hails Appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as NUPRC CEO
…Seeks Greater Niger Delta Stake, Environmental Cleanup
By Henry Umoru, Abuja
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the apex socio-political body of the South-South geopolitical zone, has thrown its weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, expressing confidence that the changes would be comprehensive and sustained.
PANDEF said consistency in policy direction and leadership was critical if the oil and gas sector was to continue playing its central role in Nigeria’s economy and enhance the country’s standing in the global energy market.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, particularly commended President Tinubu for the appointment of Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Igali said the Niger Delta, as the hub of Nigeria’s oil production, hosts the highest concentration of seasoned professionals in the sector and therefore deserves adequate representation at the highest levels of decision-making.
Describing Eyesan’s appointment as “putting a square peg in a square hole,” PANDEF said her wealth of experience and proven competence positioned her to drive far-reaching reforms in the upstream petroleum sector. The forum noted that as an accomplished economist and former Executive Vice President (Upstream) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Eyesan distinguished herself through diligence, professionalism and impactful leadership.
According to PANDEF, her appointment underscores the administration’s commitment to merit-based governance and serves as a source of pride and inspiration for women in the oil and gas industry.
“We particularly applaud the appointment of one of Nigeria’s most competent professionals in the oil and gas sector, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, as CEO of the NUPRC,” Igali said. “Indeed, this appointment could be described as putting a square peg in a square hole, and we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this.”
PANDEF also commended the President for what it described as bold and well-considered appointments across the petroleum sector, noting that the selection of experienced professionals to head key regulatory institutions would help reposition the industry for growth, stability and global competitiveness.
The forum urged the Federal Government to urgently revisit its 2018 commitment to establish a Modular Refinery Development Fund, similar to the Solid Minerals Development Fund. According to PANDEF, the fund would stimulate economic activities, create jobs and enhance stability in oil-producing communities.
Igali assured that PANDEF, as the umbrella body for host communities in the Niger Delta, would continue to work with the Federal and state governments to mobilise the people of the region towards ensuring a peaceful and conducive environment for the oil and gas sector to thrive in the national interest.
The forum said the promotion of modular refineries in the Niger Delta would be a practical way of deepening host community participation in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). It also renewed its long-standing call for greater inclusion of Niger Delta professionals in strategic leadership positions across the petroleum industry, particularly within the NNPC and its subsidiaries.
“These changes present another opportunity to put in place a robust programme to promote the building of modular refineries in the Niger Delta,” Igali said. “This must be urgently looked into as a way of carrying host communities along, creating more economic activities and ensuring greater stability in the sector.”
PANDEF further urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to address environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, stressing that remediation must go beyond the ongoing Ogoni clean-up. It called for a comprehensive and sustained environmental restoration programme, backed by annual budgetary allocations, to tackle decades of pollution and ecological damage across oil-producing communities.
The forum also commended President Tinubu on the appointment of Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, saying the emergence of competent leadership across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments reflected a deliberate strategy to reposition the sector for what it described as a “quantum leap” into the future.
Igali said PANDEF was impressed by the reforms and expressed hope that they would be sustained to ensure the oil and gas industry continues to play its vital role in Nigeria’s economic development and global energy relevance.
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