Senator Adams Oshiomhole has put the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, on the spot, demanding clear answers on the agency's future policy direction. The confrontation, which occurred during a legislative session, centered on the critical need to protect local industries and create jobs for Nigerians.
Policy Choices Over Qualifications
Addressing the new regulatory chief directly, Oshiomhole made it clear that the issue at hand was not about the technical qualifications of the appointee. He stressed that the fundamental question revolves around the policy choices the new leadership will make. The senator argued that nations globally enact deliberate policies to shield their domestic industries, not as a favor to business owners, but as a strategic move to generate employment for their citizens.
"You are all qualified. Both the new CEO of NMDPRA and NUPRC. The issue for me is not qualification but your policy choices," Oshiomhole stated. "Everywhere in the world, the nation takes deliberate effort to protect local industries... because we want to create jobs for Nigerian people. Those jobs will not be created on whims but can only be done through support for manufacturers."
A Sharp Critique of the Past Regime
The senator did not mince words when assessing the tenure of the immediate past CEO of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed. Oshiomhole described Ahmed's performance and policies as "shameful" and revealed he celebrated the official's removal. He went further to label anyone opposed to job creation in Nigeria as "an enemy of the country."
This strong condemnation set the stage for a direct question to the incoming authority head. Oshiomhole demanded to know whether the NMDPRA under its new leadership would chart a different course or continue in the footsteps of its predecessor.
The Direct Question to the New CEO
"Your predecessor that was removed and I celebrated it last night, he needed to be dealt with. Because anyone who is opposed to jobs being created in Nigeria is an enemy of the country," Oshiomhole said. "Now I ask you, in view of the very shameful performance and policy of your predecessor (Farouk Ahmed), will you do things differently or toe the path of your predecessor?"
This interrogation highlights the mounting pressure on Nigeria's energy sector regulators to align their operations with broader national economic goals, particularly industrial growth and mass employment. The spotlight is now firmly on Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed to see if his administration will introduce measures that actively support local manufacturers and strengthen Nigeria's industrial base.
The appointment of Mohammed followed the resignation of Farouk Ahmed. Ahmed's exit came shortly after industrialist Aliko Dangote publicly disclosed detailed information concerning offshore payments, which intensified scrutiny on the agency. President Bola Tinubu subsequently approved the appointment of Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, a seasoned engineer born on July 17, 1957, in Gombe State, to lead the NMDPRA.
