President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday dissolved the 10-member board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) headed by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, with immediate effect.

The directive to that effect was conveyed in a letter signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Mr.Danladi Kifasi.


The President also used the opportunity to commend members of the dissolved board for their services to the nation.


Other members of the board include the current Group Managing Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs.  Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia; NNPC’s Group Executive Director (GED) in charge of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Bernard Otti; and a former NNPC’s GED in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Peter Nmadu.


Others include a former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Steven Oronsaye; current Coordinator, Legal Services/Secretary to NNPC, Mr. Ikechukwu Oguine; Professor Olusegun Okunnu; Dr. Danladi Wadzani and Alhaji Abubakar Bukar.

The NNPC board, which is constituted by the President at any time, sits three or four times yearly and the appointment into the board is not on tenured basis.
Kifasi, who signed the dissolution letter on behalf of President Buhari, was also a member of the board, when he was the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Analysts are however wondering what is the nexus between the civil service and NNPC since NNPC is not under the civil service but a corporation. They have also questioned why the Head of Service should be the one to sign the dissolution of the board of NNPC.