The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva,is the chairman of the newly reconstituted Nigerian National.Corporation’s board , multiple government sources told THE WHISTLER on Sunday.
A statement announcing the reconstitution of the board issued by the President’s Spokesman, Femi Adesina, a few days ago, was silent on the chairmanship of the board, but THE WHISTLER investigation revealed that Sylva is the chairman.
“The Minister(Sylva ) is the chairman of the board. You know that the names of the other two statutory members, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, were also not mentioned in the statement,,” one of the top government sources told THE WHISTLER.
It was gathered that the clarification that the minister is the chairman of the board could be made in an official statement later on Sunday(today).
The last board was chaired by the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources until he was dropped from the cabinet and replaced with an alternate chairman.
The statement by Adesina reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), after the expiration of the term of the board members appointed in 2016.
“Members of the new Board are: Mohammed Lawal (North West), Tajudeen Umar (North East), Adamu Mahmood Attah (North Central), Senator Magnus Abe (South South), Dr Stephen Dike (South East), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).
“The new board will be in place for three years.”
The section of the NNPC Act that relates to the setting up of the board recognises three statutory members; the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and the Chairman (Petroleum Minister).
The NNPC (Amendment) Act of 2007 provides for the appointment of nine (9) persons to the Board of the Corporation: The Chairman who is to be the Minister of Petroleum Resources; the Managing Director appointed by the President; The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance; and six (6) other persons appointed by the President who by their experience and knowledge of the oil and gas industry, have the capability of contributing to the Corporation.
