Northern Senators Reject Oil/Gas Agency Director’s Removal

Northern Senators’ Forum has rejected the premature removal from office of the executive director of the Midstream, Downstream, Gas Infrastructure Fund, Mansur Kuliya.

The forum’s spokesperson, Senator Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), who raised a point of order on the floor of the Red Chamber yesterday, said it was wrong to remove the ED prematurely.

Kawu said the sack of Kuliya of Kuliya was unlawful, as he was not allowed to complete his five-year term, which began in 2022.

This followed a letter by President Bola Tinubu read out by the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary yesterday requesting the Senate to expeditiously confirm the sack of the chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera and to also confirm Oluwole Andama as the executive director of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund in the Nigerian Midstream, Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Akpabio thereafter referred both requests by the President to the Senate Committee of the Whole and Senate Committee on Gas and Downstream to complete Adamu’s screening within one week.

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Kawu said, “It is a Constitutional Order which is very common to us at the National Assembly. Under Section 4, vested the power about making laws for Nigeria.

“Based on this power vested in the National Assembly, if we can remember the last assembly, the 9th Assembly, passed the Petroleum Industry Act which was one of the marvelous exercises of this legislative house.

“Somebody from my constituency was appointed Executive Director and the appointment is for a term of five years in accordance with the provision of section 34 (2), 5 and section 36 (1) of the Petroleum Industry Act.

“This started in March 2022 and it was the Senate who confirmed him and there are so many provisions in the Act that if for any reason, he will be removed or replaced, there must be a process and a procedure in line with our laws and constitutions.

“Therefore, I’m drawing the attention of the Senate that the appointment of the gentleman who is serving his term, was not served with any letter of disengagement or there was no correspondence from anybody but he just heard that he was removed.

“We made this law, it is our responsibility to respect it,” Kawu said.

Responding, Akpabio urged the committees to look into Kawu’s claims and make recommendations to the Senate for further legislative action.

“The two Committees on Gas and Downstream, when you are deliberating, please take cognisance of his point of order,” Akpabio said.