PREMIUM TIMES
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has yet to implement President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Nicholas Agbo-Ella be allowed to represent Nigeria as OPEC Governor, in what appears to some people a disobedience of President Bola Tinubu’s order.
In a directive issued on 6 May, Mr Tinubu asked Mr Lokpobiri, whom he appointed in August 2023, to submit the name of Mr Agbo-Ella, the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as the representative of Nigeria in OPEC.
Mr Agbo-Ella replaced Gabriel Aduda as the Permanent Secretary for the Petroleum Ministry after the latter was redeployed to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in February.
Top officials in the ministry have told this newspaper that Mr Aduda, a brother to former FCT Senator Philip Aduda, has continued to attend functions as OPEC governor, a move sources said was backed by Mr Lokpobiri.
President Tinubu emphasised in his memo to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and copied to Mr Lokpobiri that Mr Lokpobiri should “take immediate steps to notify OPEC of the change of Permanent Secretary and replace Ambassador Gabriel T. Aduda’s name with Ambassador Nicholas Agbo-Ella as the Governor nominated by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum.”
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively obtained the memo in which the president said the minister should ensure the “replacement is confirmed by the conference scheduled for 1 June 2024.”
However, in what some administration insiders consider a disregard of a valid presidential directive, Mr Lokpobiri does not appear to have submitted Mr Agbo-Ella’s name to the OPEC Board of Governors, at least as of 1 June, an insider at the petroleum ministry said.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately confirm the reason for Mr Lokpobiri’s action. It is also unclear why Mr Aduda, whose function is now with the Ministry of Women Affairs, continued to serve as OPEC governor.
PREMIUM TIMES’ calls and text messages to the minister seeking comments about the submission of Mr Agbo-Ella’s name to the OPEC were neither acknowledged nor returned.
This newspaper also contacted the SGF’s office to know what efforts he has made to ensure that the president’s directive is complied with. Segun Imohiosen, the spokesperson of the SGF’s Office, first asked for some time to clarify the minister’s stance. He subsequently refused to return calls and text messages sent to him.
Checks by this medium show that Mr Aduda is still listed as the Governor of Nigeria on the OPEC website. He also still addresses himself as the OPEC governor of Nigeria on his X account.
Nigeria joined OPEC in 1971 to enhance the country’s crude oil production.
The Petroleum Act only recognises a high-ranking official from the petroleum ministry to represent Nigeria’s interest at OPEC. “Hence, the approval to allow the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to serve as the representative of Nigeria at the OPEC meeting,” the president’s letter to the SGF read.
In the letter, Mr Tinubu granted approval for Mr Agbo-Ella to attend the 165th Meeting of the OPEC Board of Governors (BOG) in May.
But, it was Mr Aduda who attended the BOG meeting.
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