Lawan Sends EFCC, Petroleum Agencies Boards Nominees to Senate Committees for Screening

By Deji Elumoye and Juliet Akoje

President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has referred President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees into the board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes for necessary screening.
Also referred to relevant committees were the names of appointees into the newly established Boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and Upstream Regulatory Commission (URC) to the Committees on Petroleum (Downstream) and (Upstream), respectively.
The nominees were referred to the relevant committees for further legislative action at the commencement of plenary Wednesday following the receipt of three separate requests from the President to that effect.
The upper chamber had Tuesday 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.
The President in another letter to the upper chamber also sought the confirmation of the Board of the Upstream Regulatory Commission.
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 also 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).
The President 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).
President Buhari 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).