Diezani Alison Madueke cabal takes over Nigeria’s petroleum industry

http://thestreetjournal.org/pages/content/view/276/58/

Street Journal has gathered that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke is strengthening her hold on Nigeria’s petroleum sector. Sources revealed to Street Journal that over time, she has been a major factor in who gets what in her ministry and it has also been alleged that she has ensured that appointments are tilted towards her loyalists. A source within the ministry disclosed that she is gradually building a structure for herself. Since she assumed office, a wind of change has blown over the topmost echelon of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Not less than three Group Executive Directors in the NNPC were affected in the first phase. The wind of change also caused the movement of some key officers in some of the NNPC subsidiaries. Sources also disclosed that the main beneficiaries of the effected changes happened to be staff loyal to Mrs. Alison Madueke. For instance, the new Executive Secretary to the Petroleum Pricing and Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is one of those who have worked closely with her. It is being peddled in some quarters that the new head of the PPRA was said to have as a point worked as her assistant. Street Journal’s investigations revealed that the south south region where Mrs. Madueke hails benefitted from 48% of the new promotions effected in the oil sector while the North West, North West and North Central all had 28% and the South West had 10%. Apart from the NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Augustine Oniwon who was re-appointed, Alhaji Aminu Baba-Kusa, former GED Commercial and Investment was made the GED Special Services while Dr. Attahiru Yusuf, former GED Corporate Services was appointed GED Commercial and Investment. Also Engr. Faithful Abbiyesuku former GED Engineering and Technology emerged the new GED Corporate Services. Engr. Billy Agha former Director of the DPR was appointed GED E&T while Andrew Obaji former Deputy Director of DPR was appointed the new Director of the DPR. Those adversely affected by the change include the former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Abiodun Ibikunle. Street Journal gathered that his trouble started when the House Committee on Public Petitions chaired by Hon. C. I. D. Madubum started probing into the activities of the PPRA. The committee was angered by the executive secretary’s absence at its sittings, which it read as an act of insolence. A company, Capital oil had sent a petition to the House of Representatives that the PPRA was not following due process in its operations. The petition stated inter alia “these manipulations and lack of compliance with due process and discrimination against us (Capital Oil) in the granting of approvals and allocations to ‘portfolio marketers’ in the importation of petroleum products became rampant in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2010” “It is indeed sad to note that having borrowed and invested billions of naira in a bid to create employment, multiplier effects and grow local capacity in the Nigerian economy by constructing Tank Farm, Filling Stations, Ships and Jetties the PPPRA has misguided the government of Nigeria through its lopsided petroleum products import approval to portfolio and non core investors”, In Ibikunle’s stead, the General Manager, Projects of NNPC, Mr. Goody Chike Egbuji, has been appointed Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). Incidentally, he hails from Enugu, the home state of Mrs. Alison Madueke’s husband. while it is being said within the PPRA that Ibikunle is due to retire in June, some have opined that there was more to his exit than what the public has been made to understand. Some have even opined that the exit of Ibikunle might mean that the South West would no longer have good representation as far as the PPRA is concerned.