Former Senator Margery Okadigbo replaces Chief Ifeanyi Ararume as NNPC Board Chair in a surprise presidency announcement today, 5 January.
Dame Margery is widow of late Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. Similarly, she represented Anambra North in the Senate between 2012 and 2015.
Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina announced members of the newly constituted board in a statement.
Serving alongside Mrs. Okadigbo on the new board are NNPC Chief Executive, Mele Kyari, and Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya.
Others members of the Board selected to represent regional political interests are as follows:
| Dr. Tajudeen Umar | North East |
| Lami Ahmed | North Central |
| Mohammed Lawal | North West |
| Henry Obih | South East |
| Constance Marshal | South South |
| Chief Pius Akinyelure | South West |
Chief Ararume is the only one dropped from a prior list of Board members announced on 24 September 2021.
Mr Adesina’s statement was silent on what prompted the presidency to upgrade Mrs. Okadigbo and throw Chief Ararume out.
Last year, Adesina himself stoutly defended Ararume as Board chair and dismissed those who criticized his choice.
He described Ararume, also a former Senator, as an “influential politician, shrewd businessman and budding egghead.”
His choice for the chairmanship, Adesina said, “satisfies the basic parameters of quality, soundness, suitability and, perhaps, political net worth, sagacity and knowledge.”
Other board appointments
Mr Adesina also today announced Executive Commissioners to regulate upstream, midstream and downstream operations.
The Executive Commissioners of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission are
| NAME | STATE | TASK |
| Isa Modibo* | Adamawa | Board Chairman |
| Gbenga Komolafe* | Ondo | CEO |
| Rose Ndong* | Plateau | Exploration and Acreage Management |
| Hassan Gambo* | Adamawa | Finance and Accounts |
| Dr Nuhu Habib | Kano | Development & Production |
| Dr Kelechi Ofoegbu | Imo | Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning |
| Captain Tonlagha John | Delta | Health, Safety, Environment and Community |
| Jide Adeola | Kogi | Corporate Services and Administration |
Commissioners for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority include
| NAME | STATE | RESPONSIBILITY |
| Idaere Ogan* | Rivers | Board Chairman |
| Sarki Auwalu* | Kano | CEO |
| Ogbugo Ukoha* | Abia | Executive Director, Downstream Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure |
| Abiodun Adeniji* | Lagos | Executive Director, Finance and Account |
| Francis Ogaree | Rivers | Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing |
| Mustapha Lamorde | Adamawa | Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community |
| Mansur Kuliya | Kano | Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund |
| Bashir Sadiq | Sokoto | Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration |
| Dr Zainab Gobir | Kwara | Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning |
For Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, the new Council Members are
| NAME | STATE |
| Effiong Abia | Akwa Ibom |
| Bobboi Ahmed | Adamawa |
| Abdullahi Bukar | Katsina |
Margery Okadigbo replaces Ararume
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