Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has welcomed the resignation of Engr. Farouk Ahmed and Mr. Gbenga Komolafe from Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies, describing their exit as necessary for the country’s economic survival.
Oshiomhole made the remarks on Thursday during the Senate screening of President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the positions of Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Speaking during the session, the senator used unusually strong language to express his approval of the development, accusing the former officials of policies he believes undermined local job creation and encouraged excessive importation at the expense of Nigeria’s economic growth.
According to him, any policy stance that discourages domestic production, promotes dependence on imports, and leads to the export of Nigeria’s prosperity while importing poverty was unacceptable and harmful to national development.
Oshiomhole further said the removal of Farouk Ahmed, in particular, was a moment of relief for him, adding that he would be closely following developments related to the former regulator’s tenure.
Meanwhile, Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), reportedly resigned from office about 24 hours earlier, following controversies that trailed his time at the agency.