No Job Loss For Officials Of Defunct DPR, PEF, PPPRA – Sylva

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, yesterday allayed the fears of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), assuring them that their jobs were intact despite the reforms in the sector.

He spoke with the staff members at their various offices in Abuja. Sylva, who led the CEO of the Upstream Regulatory Commission, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe and his NPRA counterpart, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, to the meetings with the with the workers, explained that assets and liabilities of the defunct agencies would be fully assumed by the successor agencies.

He had on Monday inaugurated the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, the successor agencies of the scrapped DPR, PPPRA and PEF.

Meanwhile, while calming down the staff members of DPR, Sylva said: “We assure you that this is a very normal transition. The PIA has been passed and the law stipulates that certain actions must be taken.

“That the DPR, as it was then, must be wound down and two successor agencies are to be inaugurated. And, of course, myself I had to step down as chairman of NNPC. It is all because this is what the law states.

“But I want to assure you that the staff have nothing to worry about because the law is very clear also on the position of the staff of DPR, PEF and PPPRA.”

He added, “No job is to be lost in this process, no remuneration is to be lost in this process. Of course, the process is ongoing, as the President inaugurated the implementation committee.

“You must realise that this transition is by law and, of course, you must give the cooperation you gave to the previous leadership to this current leaders.”

Also, at the headquarters of the defunct PEF, Sylva stated that the liabilities of the agency had been passed onto the new authority, adding that this was also the same for all liabilities of the PPPRA.

The minister at the midstream and downstream authority, reassured NARTO and other organisations which have commitments with the defunct organisations that their concerns would be addressed.

He explained that the DPR has to wind down and two successor agencies have to be inaugurated.

Sylva added: “Even me had to step down as chairman of the NNPC as you all are aware.

It is all because of what the law states. So, when I hear DPR director has been sacked, PPPRA director has been sacked and PEF director has been sacked, that’s not reflective of the situation. “The PIA has established these agencies to succeed the DPR and the heads of these agencies have been appointed in his wisdom and they have also been cleared by the national assembly.

“So, those CEOs will no longer have any role since the political leadership of those successor agencies have been appointed.

“But I want to assure you that staff of the DPR have nothing to worry about because the law is very clear on the position of the staff of all the agencies.”

Speaking at the PPPRA, Mr. Olasupo Agbaje, General Manager, Gas and Renewable, assured that the staff were also ready to support the new management to grow the sector.

According to him, “It is normal that at junction like this, there are anxieties and that is why I thought I should come by myself along with the permanent secretary to assure you that this is a very normal transition. The PIA has been passed and the law stipulates that certain actions must be taken.

“That the DPR as it is then was to be wund down and two successor agencies were to be inaugurated. And of cause myself, I have to step down as Chairman of the NNPC (board) as you all are aware. It is all because this is what the law states”.

He denied that the Federal Government sacked the heads of the defunct agencies, clarifying that the “situation is that the PIA has established these two agencies to succeed the DPR, PPPRA and PEF, and the heads of these agencies have been appointed by the President in his wisdom and they have also been cleared by the National assembly.

“It therefore means that the political leaderships of the DPR, PEF and the PPPRA will no longer have any place since the political leaderships of the successor agencies have now been appointed.

“But I want to assure you that staffs of DPR have nothing to worry about because the law is very clear also on the position of the staff of the DPR, PEF and PPPRA. No job is to be lost in this process, no remuneration is be lost in this process. The process is ongoing and the implementation committee is working on it, and the new CEOs will join that committee and we will work together to ensure that there is a seamless transition,” he added.