George Abiodun Osahon has turned in a letter, giving notice of the expiry of his two year tenure as Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The department is the regulatory agency for upstream, midstream and downstream activities of Nigeria’s oil sector.
Mr. Osahon, 62, was appointed to the position on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 for a renewable two year term. He is one of the few appointed heads of parastatals of the Ministry of Petroleum that have remained in their jobs after the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed them. Others have either not been rehired for another term, or fired out rightly by Jonathan himself.
Although Osahon serves at the pleasure of the incumbent President of the country, he expects to hand over to the most senior deputy director at the department by the close of business on Friday June 19, 2015. He wasn’t exactly forthcoming, when we asked him, on the question of what he would do if President Muhammadu Buhari requests him to stay on.
A former Group General Manager of the influential NAPIMS, the quasi regulatory and commercial subsidiary of the NNPC, through which the state hydrocarbon company interfaces with the major oil companies and the last General Manager of the corporation’s National Content Department (NCD), which transformed into the independent National Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Osahon was clearly the most experienced of the four Directors who passed through the DPR in the last 64 months. He has been part of most of the committees around policy overhaul, policy drafting, and policy implementation in the industry.
There’s no doubt that, for a man passionate about upstream consulting, who also happens to be the founder and substantial shareholder of Energia (the Nigerian independent and marginal field operator, currently producing 6,000BOPD), Osahon, has enough to do when he leaves, but who will succeed him at DPR?
The DPR used to have a vibrant bunch of deputy directors. But the generation of Segun Ogunjana (who superintended the relatively transparent 2003 Marginal Field Bid Round), Abiodun Ibikunle (latterly the Executive Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency PPPRA) have all retired from the system.
Executive was repeated twice in the description of Abiodun Ibikunle
An Eye on the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, a move by some cabal to stop the digitalized processes already running and more to come.
Dear Mr. President,
Barely 48hours after the Past director of department of petroleum resources – DPR, George Osahon, resigned there are indications that some Nigerians working for the agency want to revert the automation processes, which has increased productivity, IGR and amend the image of the agency.
Prior to the introduction of the DPR digital platform such as the Oil and gas industry service permit portal, my company paid enormously through the back-door to get permit, and permit issuance used to take months, however with the introduction of the online process channel, for renewal this year, our company was able to print approved permit within three days without the usual ordeals that comes with it.
A sister company of ours does importation of petroleum products, and we are aware that DPR has initiated and completed the automation process online too. We were shock to hear that shortly after we made our payment online, some people in DPR want to halt the digital process, claiming it is not working. Infact, a staff member in the agency told me to get ready next week to submit my documents as usual – manually. My question to him was: If it did not work, how was I able to create account on the platform and make payment? Mr. president, Sir, you are a man of integrity; we have always passed through hell trying to get our import permit, now that things are looking transparent with the digital platforms being introduced to tackle corruption, we are being faced with people who want to stop the good work that will help our dear country.
Sir, I write, not alone, but speaking the minds of several Nigerians who happen to interface with DPR and other government agencies, that:
1. all across the world digitalisation of processes has always paid off through increased productivity, good ROI, increase in IGR, etc.
2. For how long will a few cabal hold the rest of us to ransom because of their selfish interest?
3. This attempt to stop this good work must be resisted by your good office.
Sir, we voted for CHANGE and it cannot happen if certain corrupt elements whose salaries are paid through taxes and other revenues are allowed to prevail over people who want to experience a sane country. Please do intervene fast on this matter as delay may be catastrophic.
CC:
The Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The inspector general of Police
The chairman,
EFCC
The Nigerian People,
Public Court
Signed:
M. Phillips
Hello Phillips,
If this is true, what can this government do? Is this what they call Change? Nigerians have bought a fake drug for their headache. This is a country where darkness will prevail over light. Let’s wait and see the outcome.
Jubril