President Jonathan appoints new bosses for PPPRA and DPR [Thisday]

President Goodluck Jonathan

By Ahamefula Ogbu       

In a bid to rejig key parastatals in the petroleum industry ahead of the reforms, President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday announced the appointments of Mr. Reginald Chika Stanley as the new Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Mr. Osten Oluyemisi Olurunsola as new head of Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Both appointments, according to the Presidency, take immediate effect.

Stanley, who until his appointment was Group General Manager of the Business Development Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), replaces Mr. Goody Chike Egbuji while Olorunsola replaces Mr. Andre Obaje.

A statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Olorunsola was until his appointment, Vice-President (Gas) at Shell Upstream International.

The two new appointees are said to have between 31 and 32 years of cognate experience in the oil and gas industry and are therefore considered as having requisite experience to turn the agencies around.

The statement from Abati on the changes read: “President Jonathan has also approved the appointment of Mr. Osten Oluyemisi Olorunsola to replace Mr. Andrew Obaje as the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
“Mr. Olorunsola is currently the Vice President (Gas) at Shell Upstream International.

“Both appointees have many years of experience at senior managerial levels in the petroleum industry.

“In his over 32 years in the industry, Mr. Stanley has served as Marketing Manager, NLNG; Executive Director, Duke Oil Company, UK; Executive Director (Commer-cial), PPMC; Managing Director, PPMC; and Managing Director, Hyson Limited. He hails from Abia State.

“Mr. Olorunsola who has been in the industry for 31 years has served as Strategic Business Adviser to the Minister of Petroleum Resources (2008-2009); Manager, Opportunity Delivery and Studies Centre at Shell; Reserves and Technology Manager (Africa), Shell (E&P) International, Netherlands; Business Interface Manager (Russia), Shell Technology (E&P) International, Netherlands; and Petroleum Engineering Manager, Shell Nigeria. He is an indigene of Kogi State.
“Both appointments take immediate effect."