*H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, explains the law specifically repeals the DPR, PPPRA and PEF, but interest of the workers of the three agencies would be protected

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to the recent passage of and presidential assent to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the Federal Government has officially wound down the operations of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).

ConsumerConnect gathered H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, disclosed this development Monday, October 18, 2021, during the inauguration of the new Boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC), in Abuja, FCT.

The Minister also explained that with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, the NPRA and NURC now perform the functions of the now defunct DPR, PPPRA and PEF respectively.

Specially, Sylva disclosed that the inauguration of the Boards Monday this week marked the beginning of the successor agencies in the country.

Chief Sylva, however, assured Nigerians though the interest of workers of the three agencies would be protected, their chief executives had been relieved of their various appointments.

As regards what would happen to the DPR, following the inauguration of the Board of NURC, Sylva said, “It is now a matter of law.”

He further noted: “The law states that all the assets and even the staff of the DPR are to be invested in the commission and also in the authority. So, that means the DPR doesn’t exist anymore.

“And, of course, the law specifically repeals the DPR Act, the Petroleum Inspectorate Act, the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Act and the PPPRA Act.

“The law specifically repeals them. It is very clear that those agencies do not exist anymore.”

In regard to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and employees of the defunct DPR, PPPRA and PEF, Sylva said “the law also provides for the staff and the jobs in those agencies to be protected.

“But I’m sure that that doesn’t cover, unfortunately, the chief executives, who were on political appointments.”

According to him, the process for aligning the workers of the defunct agencies with the new regulatory bodies had already commenced, as the staff had to be rationalised.

“The authority has its staff coming from the defunct PEF, PPPRA and DPR. The commission has staff coming over from DPR and the process is going on for the next few weeks,” he further stated.

The Minister added: “The PIA provides for the upstream regulatory commission and the establishment of the midstream and downstream authority.

“So far, the Chief Executives of these agencies have not been in place; but of course, Mr. President in his wisdom made the appointment a few weeks ago, and they went through a rigorous process of confirmation at the National Assembly.

“The agencies have now taken off because they now have clear leadership and today’s (Monday’s) event marks that beginning for the new agencies.”