The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has commended the Federal Government under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the recent reforms in the regulatory arms of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The commendation was contained in a press statement jointly signed by PANDEF’s National Chairman, Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, and the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini.
In the statement, the Forum particularly applauded President Tinubu for appointing Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), expressing strong confidence in her capacity to deliver on the mandate of the office.
According to PANDEF, “The news of the recent reforms in the regulatory arms of Nigeria’s oil sector has come to the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and indeed the entire Niger Delta with great appreciation and expectation.”
The Forum further stated: “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 Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Indeed, this particular appointment could be described as putting a square peg in a square hole, and we thank His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for this.”
Describing Mrs. Eyesan as a seasoned economist, PANDEF noted that she had previously served with distinction as Executive Vice President (Upstream) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), leaving behind a legacy of diligence, excellence and impact.
“In all her professional life, she has always left a mark of diligence, excellence and impact wherever she served. She showcases a panache, making all Nigerians, and indeed our womenfolk, exceptionally proud of her service to the country,” the statement read.
PANDEF also expressed optimism that the appointment of Mrs. Eyesan, alongside that of Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, signals a new direction for the sector.
“It is our belief that, with her in charge of the upstream sector and the corresponding appointment of another competent Nigerian, Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, as CEO of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, Mr. President is set to take the Nigerian oil and gas sector on a quantum leap into the future,” the Forum said.
The Niger Delta socio-political body further expressed hope that the ongoing reforms would be sustained in the interest of all Nigerians, while calling for increased inclusion of Niger Deltans in the oil and gas industry, particularly in funding and establishing modular refineries and in the remediation of the region’s degraded environment.
“We, the people of the Niger Delta, are greatly impressed with these changes and hope that the holistic reforms would be sustained. This is the only way to ensure that the oil and gas industry continues to play the paramount role it has been playing for the common economic interest of all Nigerians and positions Nigeria as a dominant player in the global energy architecture,” PANDEF stated.
The Forum also urged the Federal Government to appoint more qualified sons and daughters of the Niger Delta into top positions within NNPC and the wider oil and gas industry, noting that the region has the highest concentration of experienced professionals in the sector.
On environmental issues, PANDEF called for a comprehensive and sustained clean-up of the Niger Delta, stressing that government efforts must go beyond the Ogoni clean-up exercise.
“The Federal Government must go beyond Ogoni Clean-up to ensure that there is budgetary provision on an annual basis to clean up the damaged environments of the Niger Delta in a sustained manner,” the statement said.
The Forum also renewed its call for the establishment of a robust programme to promote modular refineries in the region, recalling government’s 2018 commitment to set up a Modular Refinery Development Fund.
“This must be urgently looked into and encouraged as a way of carrying more host communities along in implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), creating more economic activities in the Niger Delta and ensuring greater stability in the sector for the overall good of the country,” PANDEF added.
The Forum reaffirmed its commitment, on behalf of host communities, to working closely with both the Federal and State governments to mobilise the people and ensure a conducive environment for the oil and gas sector to continue to play its critical role in Nigeria’s economic development.
