Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has revealed that he celebrated the resignation of Engr. Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe from Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory leadership, describing their exit as necessary for the country’s economic survival.
Naijaonpoint reports that Oshiomhole made the remarks on Thursday during the screening of nominees forwarded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for leadership positions in Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies.
The screening was conducted by the Joint Committee on Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Gas.
President Tinubu had forwarded the names of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to the Senate for confirmation.
The appointments followed the resignations of Engineer Farouk Ahmed, former NMDPRA chief, and Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, former NUPRC chief, both appointed in 2021 under the Petroleum Industry Act.
The leadership shake-up came after a public dispute between Ahmed and the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Dangote had accused the NMDPRA of frustrating domestic refining through the issuance of petroleum import licences and also raised allegations of personal corruption against the former regulator.
Speaking during the screening, Oshiomhole criticised what he described as “shameful policy choices” of the outgoing leadership.
“I celebrated it last night,” Oshiomhole said. “It needed to be done. And I’m still going to drink tonight because of their removal.”
While acknowledging the professional credentials of Mohammed, Oshiomhole said the core problem was not competence but policy direction.
“Looking at your CV, you are qualified. But the issue for me is not qualification. It is your policy choices,” he said.
The former labour leader stressed that countries deliberately protect local industries to create jobs.
“Everywhere in the world, nation-states deliberately protect local industries, not because they like the owners, but because they want to create jobs,” he said.
According to him, job creation would not come from sympathy but from deliberate support for labour-intensive industries such as refineries.
“Jobs will not be achieved by weeping for the jobless. It is by supporting businesses, particularly manufacturers like refineries,” Oshiomhole added.
Oshiomhole lamented that despite the issuance of several refinery licences over the years, policies under the previous leadership encouraged importation and weakened domestic refining.
He said local refinery assets were “deliberately stifled” under the watch of the former regulators, describing the situation as contrary to Nigeria’s national interest.
“Anyone who is opposed to jobs being created in Nigeria, who prefers importation, importing products here and exporting our wealth abroad, has no business managing this sector,” he said.
Oshiomhole urged the new nominees to be guided by national interest rather than commercial convenience.
“Be guided by what is good for Nigeria, not by the interests of refinery owners alone,” he said. “The people who work there are our brothers, our sisters, our children.”
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as decisive action in removing the former officials, saying the decision had renewed hope among Nigerians who depend on the sector for jobs and economic stability.
Senator representing Taraba South, David Jimkuta, aligned himself with Oshiomhole during the session.
He jokingly promised to join Oshiomhole in celebrating the resignations, while directing pointed questions at the nominees.
“I want you to tell us here clearly: what are you going to tell my children?” Jimkuta asked. “What will you do differently? What exactly is your criticism of the existing system, and how do you intend to correct the attitude and impressions Nigerians have formed?”