Ekpo joins Lokpobiri as NCDMB council co-chairman

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, as Co-Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Monitoring and Development Board.

Ekpo will join his oil counterpart, Heineken Lokpobiri, who has been the sole chairman of the NDCMB governing council.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the appointment was in line with Tinubu’s stated commitment to establishing a more efficient, targeted and consistent approval process for unique oil and gas projects in the country. .

Ngelale said the appointment was also to ensure effective oversight of the gas aspect of the nation’s assets.

“The President remains committed to unlocking Nigeria’s immense gas potential to stimulate industrial development, job creation and sustainable economic growth,” he concluded.

The PUNCH recalls that the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, has been at loggerheads with Lokpobiri over who has the power to appoint people to various positions in the local content board.

While speaking in Lagos recently about the crisis between him and Ogbe, Lokpobiri said: “Some of you know that there was bad publicity against me that I was meddling in the inner workings of the NCDMB. I am too busy to reduce myself from minister to head of a parastatal entity.

“I will never do it. But the NCDMB Act is different. Section 75 gives additional responsibilities to the council. There is a reason why the minister is the president of the council. “It is to ensure that things are done after due diligence.”

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