The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

It also confirmed the appointment of Saidu Mohammed as the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The confirmations followed the consideration of a report by the joint committee chaired by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu.

A former managing director of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, had on Wednesday resigned amid corruption allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in a statement, also said Gbenga Komolafe had stepped down as the chief executive of the NUPRC.

Consequently, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the lawmakers, asking for the expedited confirmation of Eyesan as CEO of the NUPRC and Mohammed as the NMDPRA chief.

The Presidency says that the two nominees are “seasoned professionals” in the oil and gas industry.

Dangote’s Claims, Ahmed’s Denial

The House of Representatives had summoned both parties and asked them to stop public comments.

Dangote had petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and financial impropriety.

In the petition submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, Africa’s richest man asked the anti-graft agency to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the former NMDPRA chief.

He accused him of living beyond his means, claiming four of his children had attended secondary schools in Switzerland, with costs running into several millions of dollars.

Dangote alleged that approximately $5 million had been spent on their secondary education and upkeep over six years, plus an extra $2 million on tertiary education, including an alleged $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of Ahmed’s children.

The reputed industrialist listed the children’s names and schools they attend, asking the ICPC to prosecute Ahmed in line with the laws of the land.

“We have no reservation that, being a matter that is in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected,” part of the petition read.

The ICPC acknowledged receipt of the petition, promising that it will be “duly investigated.”

On Sunday, the industrialist accused the NMDPRA leadership, under Ahmed, of economic sabotage, claiming that certain regulatory actions were undermining local refining capacity.

At a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Dangote alleged that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating domestic refiners and perpetuating reliance on imports.

He also alleged that the regulator was colluding with international traders and oil importers to the disadvantage of local operators.

But Ahmed, in a terse statement, described Dangote’s claims as “wild and spurious.”

“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat,” he added. (Channels)

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