PIA: Buhari Writes Senate, Replaces Auwalu With Farouk As CEO Of Midstream, Downstream Regulatory Authority

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate informing them of his decision to replace Engr. Sarki Auwalu as Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority with the appointment of Mr. Farouk Ahmed.

Farouk was a former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.

The replacement of Auwalu who is the current Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Petroleum Resources is coming barely one week after the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan read the nomination of the board of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

The two agencies were created following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act which was signed into law last month by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had premised his request on section 11 (3) of the Petroleum Industry Act.

“In accordance with the provision of Section 11(3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, I hereby forward for confirmation by the senate the under listed nominees as board members for the Upstream Regulatory Commission.

“In order to fast-track the process of the establishment of the commission, the senate is rightly requested to confirm the nominees in the usual expeditious manner,” the letter which was read on the floor of the Senate last Tuesday stated.

The PIA provides that the Authority would regulate the midstream and downstream petroleum operations in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer will be supported by seven Executive Directors to handle the day-to-day administration of the Authority.

The Authority will take over the current functions of the DPR, with respect to the regulation of technical and commercial activities in the downstream and midstream petroleum operations.

Furthermore, the Authority will be saddled with the responsibilities of providing pricing and tariff frameworks for natural gas in midstream and downstream gas operation.

It will also provide pricing Tarif for petroleum products based on fair market basis, thus, absorbing the current responsibilities and functions of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.