By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Following a request by President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of nominees into the board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has referred the names of the appointees to the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes for screening.
Also forwarded for screening are the names of appointees into the newly established Boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and Upstream Regulatory Commission (URC), which were forwarded to the Committees on Petroleum (Downstream) and (Upstream), respectively.
The Senate President made the referral on Wednesday during plenary.
365Daily recalls that on Tuesday, the Red Chamber received a request from President Muhammadu Buhari to confirm the nominees as Members of the Board of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
He explained in a letter dated September 16, 2021, that the request to confirm the Chairman, Chief Executive and Executive Directors for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority was made in accordance with the provision of Section 34(3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
The nominees for confirmation into the Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Board are: Idaere Gogo Ogan (Chairman); Engr. Sarki Auwalu (Chief Executive); Abiodun A. Adeniji (Executive Director, Finance and Accounts); and Ogbugo Ukoha (Executive Director, Distributions Systems, Storage and Retail Infrastructure).
In a separate letter dated September 16, 2021, President Buhari, while relying on the provision of Section 11(3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, requested the Senate to confirm the appointment of four nominees as Chairman, Chief Executive and Executive Commissioners to the Board of the Upstream Regulatory Commission.
The nominees for screening and confirmation are: Isa Ibrahim Modibo (Chairman); Engr. Gbenga Komolafe (Chief Executive); Hassan Gambo (Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts); and Ms Rose Ndong (Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management).
Buhari, in a third request contained in a letter dated September 17, 2021, sought the confirmation of the Secretary and Board members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He explained that the request for the confirmation of the nominees was in accordance with the provision of Section 2(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.
Those to be screened by the Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes Committee include George Abbah Ekpungu, Secretary (Cross River); Luqman Muhammed (Edo); Anumba Adaeze (Enugu); Alhaji Kola Raheem Adesina (Kwara); and Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad (Yobe).