The news has been making the rounds in both the conventional and internet media that President Muhammadu Buhari is to assume the position of Minister of Petroleum when he appoints ministers next month. According to the information reportedly leaked after a meeting of the president with chieftains of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja over the impending ministerial appointments, Buhari said he would take the action as part of his move to sanitise the oil sector and rid it of corruption. Ordinarily, this should be a welcome development for several reasons. Number one is that the president’s reputation as “Mr Clean” remains intact, even among his political adversaries. Number two is that the fight against corruption, especially in the cash-cow oil sector, has been a major concern of Nigerians which Buhari promised to address during his campaigns. Number three and most importantly, is that President Buhari is a veteran in the management of the sector. He spearheaded the establishment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) when he was oil minister in the late 1970’s. He has the cognate experience to do a thorough job and creating the right template before ceding the position to a cabinet minister. However, we are concerned about issues of transparency and accountability if the president chooses to take up the post in addition to his onerous and overloaded duties as the nation’s Chief Executive and Security Officer. The nation is still at sea over the way in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo handled the same job for six years from 1999 when he assumed power. A number of turnaround maintenance projects were undertaken and billions of naira sunk and yet the refineries remained comatose until after Buhari took over, and they started bouncing back, as if by magic. We do not want a repeat of the nation being put in the dark about proceedings in the industry. One big disadvantage of having the president of the country as Minister of Petroleum Resources is that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for him to be summoned by the National Assembly to be grilled over any misgivings that might arise, and to supply information that will help to set the minds of Nigerians at rest when the “clean-up” of the industry begins. The story will be different if a minister is on the job. We suggest that the president appoints a person of proven competence and integrity to carry out his mandate in the industry and be available and accountable to Nigerians through the federal legislature, the media and civil society. Once bitten, they say, twice shy. A minister should be put on the job for greater transparency, accessibility and accountability.
October 25, 2025 A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mrs. Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo (née Okeya), who was duly screened and cleared by the party’s National Screening Committee, has demonstrated uncommon party loyalty by stepping down for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji and actively participating in the delegate congress held today in her Eporo Ward, Emure Local Government Area. Mrs. Omolayo, who was warmly received with an Ọ̀wọ̀ song by jubilant party members, expressed appreciation to her ward for the support they gave her when she initially declared her intention to contest for governor. She explained that her decision to step down for Governor Oyebanji was informed by his wide acceptability across the state, sterling performances in office, and commitment to Ekiti’s growth and development, which she described as derivatives of continuity. While addressing the crowd, Mrs. Omolayo urged party members in Eporo Ward...
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