Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua has named a new minister in charge of the country's troubled oil sector.

Rilwanu Lukman, former secretary general of the oil cartel Opec, will now head the petroleum ministry.

Until now it was a post the president had kept for himself, as did his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mr Lukman is widely respected and regarded as the architect of planned wholesale reforms of the country's oil and gas sector.

The country's main earner, the oil industry, is beset by a violent conflict in the southern region which has cut output by a fifth.

The industry has also been damaged by the government's failure to keep up its part of the funding deals it made with the oil companies.

Mr Lukman has advised sweeping reforms of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Byword for honesty

A new minister for the restive Niger Delta is expected to be announced soon.

President Yar'Adua named Godsday Orubebe, a former minister of special duties, as the junior minister.

They will have the job of improving development in the region in the hope that it will improve security.

The head of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac), Dora Akunyili, has been appointed information minister.

Correspondents say since taking over at Nafdac Mrs Akunyili has become a byword for honest public service.

The cabinet reshuffle has been long awaited, the president has been hinting at a shake-up in his administration for almost a year.

Last week the country's supreme court dismissed a challenge to President Yar'Adua's election by opposition candidates.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7788193.stm

I can see a few positives about this appointment!

Fingers crossed!!

Rilwan is tired old hand.

absolutly no brainer appointing this guy again.

we have 150million people; they just love coming back again and again.

if my memory serves me right i think the last petroleum minister we had was during abacha or babangida era. rilwan lukman his nothing new just one of those recycled leaders that have nothing new to offer in a ministry he once served.

dont be silly dude he is not nigeria's first oil minister, theres been etete, etiebet, and several others

Rilwanu Lukman was the OPEC Secretary General from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2000. On December 18, Lukman was appointed as the current Minister of Petroleum Resources by Nigerian president Umaru Yar'Adua. He hails from Zaria in Kaduna State of Nigeria.

Dr. Lukman is currently on the board of Afren Plc, a leading independent exploration and production company. Dr. Lukman is also a Supervisory Boardmember of Dietsmann NV of the Netherlands, a leading International Operation & Maintenance company in the upstream energy sector. He was, until November 2003, Presidential Adviser on Petroleum and Energy Matters to the Federal Government of Nigeria and Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Dr. Lukman was Secretary General of the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1995–2000 and President of the OPEC Conference for eight consecutive terms from 1985-1989. He was also Federal Minister of Mines, Power and Steel from 1984-5, Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources from 1986-9, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989-90, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) from 1993-4.

Dr. Lukman trained originally as a mining engineer at Imperial College in London and obtained a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bologna. He was made a Knight of the British Empire (KBE) in 1989 and Officer of the Legion d’Honneur of France in 1990, as well as being conferred with the First Class rank of the Order of the Liberator from the Republic of Venezuela. He is a member of several professional bodies and was the first African ever to be honoured with the Fellowship of the Imperial College, University of London.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rilwanu_Lukman


when shall we be tired of these old hands?

this poster is obviously a primary sch student,get the Bleep off NL!
u must not hav heard of past petroleum ministers like buhari,etibet,etete

rilwanu held the same post, I believe for the first time, about 20 years ago. This is nothing but recycling of the old guards. I say we find someone else already.

naming a former head of OPEC as oil minister in a new cabinet. Nigeria was recently overtaken by Angola as Africa's biggest exporter of oil and Rilwanu Lukman, former secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), faces a tough market situation. Oil prices are now 70 percent off highs of 147 dollars a barrel in July, as demand dries up in recession-hit industrialised nations.


Folks , This is just a re-shuffling of a failed team.How can this elderfy man face this kind of challenge.Nigerians and politics, couldnt this man have rejected this offer and save himself this stressssssssss.What do you think folks

tell us something we dont know,or smthing we have never heard or discussed,
please stop duplicating threads.

I remember this man's last ocupation of that position. The whole world of oil was booming and he had nothing to give to Nigeria except an extremely corrupt ministry.

He is back again

nikkyt:

naming a former head of OPEC as oil minister in a new cabinet. Nigeria was recently overtaken by Angola as Africa's biggest exporter of oil and Rilwanu Lukman, former secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), faces a tough market situation. Oil prices are now 70 percent off highs of 147 dollars a barrel in July, as demand dries up in recession-hit industrialised nations.


Folks , This is just a re-shuffling of a failed team.How can this elderfy man face this kind of challenge.Nigerians and politics, couldnt this man have rejected this offer and save himself this stressssssssss.What do you think folks

i think you should name who you would have nominated.
age could be a factor but so could be experience.
i don't give a dime about rilwan lukman
i don't know if he will perform well or not
but he's a world renowned technocrat.
The administration wants a reform of the sector
Rilwan Lukman headed a committee that suggested far reaching reforms
It appeals to logic to let him execute his own suggested reforms, doesn't it?

Common Nigerians, we ought to be wiser than this. If Rilwan merits any position at all in a Nigerian Government, it should be as an 'elder statesman' adviser based on his experience, nothing more nothing less. To simply continue recycling same names and their cronies in the corridor of any Government is ridiculous and absurd.

What is he going to do now? rehash same old policies and hope for A MIRACLE?

We are bound as a nation and need to break free from this politics of greed and deceit.

We have abound lots and lots of technocrats in the oil and gas sector, who will be dynamic and vibrant and bring a whole set of fresh ideas to that portfolio. For a start, as a nation we need to be very concerned that the west are already diversifying away from oil as fuel, whats our strategy? what are we going to do then, sell oil to ourselves.

I am deeply dissapointed and frustrated.

So what if the man is old? I don't think it would be fair to discriminate against him based on his age since he has the qualifications. Now if he were senile or suffering from some serious disorder then you may have a point.
I don't know much about the guy other than what I've read on this thread. But I'd rather read more about the policies he made (failed and successful) before booing the guy.
Sure he's held the post before but what was Nigeria like at that time?

the man has old ideas and will do nothing . watch the space. is like bringing back the dead.

My question is that are there no new hands that can be appointed into these offices?
as a country why must we keep on going in circles.
the president definitely doesnt know what he is doin

the man is a snail i a snail shell . look at the list of new ministers and tell me who will bring fresh ideas amongst them.

There is something really wrong with our leaders! This same Rilwan Lukman has been at the helm of Oil affairs in this since the days of yore yet no change. Are they trying to say that in this country of over 120 million people that it is this same expired retrogressive individuals are the best we can produce?

He is not our first oil minister.

if RILWAN LOOKMAN can be a minister at age 71 or so,
then let ROBOT MUGABE rule for ever

And let them bow for their grand children in the national assemblies!

It is absolutely incredible that in an era where Nigeria needs urgent reform, the President is appointing old men that served in the same post 22 years ago under the military regime of General Babangida. What would we think of Obama if he brought back Henry Kissinger and David Baker to serve in his government?

welcome from planet FOREX.

OUR Problem is not in the petroleum Sector or ministry/minister but how to diversify from oil based economy to other sectors.

RILWAN LUKMAN IS SYNONYMOUS WITH PETROLEUM, I THINK HE HAS THE LONGEST RECORD OF MINESTERIAL APPOINTMENT. HE RUNS AWAY FROM IT, HE STILL GET IT.
WELL I ONLY HOPE A GOOD WORK WILL BE DONE
YAR 'ADUA , PRAY HARD

Reps Panel Indicts Lukman, Daukoru, Kupolokun

By Festus Owete, Assistant Editor, Abuja

Newly appointed Petroleum Minister, Rilwan Lukman, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Edmond Daukoru have been indicted by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the activities of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), its subsidiaries and the Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR).
Also indicted is the former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Funso Kupolukun.
While frowning at the way activities were conducted in the said offices, the committee has recommended that the Federal Government should recover within 60 days signature bonuses amounting to about $360 million from firms which won oil blocks during the bidding in the last seven years.
The panel also recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the police should further investigate the role played by administrators of the bid rounds.
The recommendations are contained in the interim report submitted by the committee last Wednesday and made available to Sunday Independent.
The 26-member committee headed by Igo Aguma (PDP, Rivers) was set up by the House in plenary in April to, among other things, determine the actual allocation of domestic crude oil to NNPC as well as quantity of refined petroleum products derived thereof for domestic consumption, and revenue, if any from May 1999 to May 2008.
The committee was also mandated to ascertain the identities, particulars, status and the basis of the engagement of companies, enterprises and individuals by the NNPC for the importation and exportation of petroleum products as well as those that have benefited from oil blocs allocation during the period under review.
The committee said in the 64-page report that the Federal Government lost enormous revenue in the bid process, partly because of the staggered payment of signature bonus and partly, because of the suspicious manner the administrators conducted the rounds.
It noted, regrettably, that in the 2000 bid round alone a total of $248 million was lost by the Federal Government following the shoddy manner it was handled.
According to the committee, during the 2000 bid round SNEPCO paid only $75 million out of a total signature bonus of $200 million for OPL 250 leaving a balance of $125 million. It noted though that the field was later abandoned by SNEPCO.
It also said that another firm, Ocean Energy Nigeria Limited which participated in the 2002 bid process for OPL 256 owes government the sum of $220 million on signature bonus since the $70 million it claimed to have paid as part of the fee, could not be traced in the records.
The committee also said that the sum of $20,000 application fee and another $10,000 processing fee should be recovered from Statoil (Nigeria) Limited for participating in the 2002 bid round pursuant to the 2000 Guidance Notes.
It also recommended that Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited should pay $20 million to the government and another $5 million being an outstanding signature bonus on OPL 233, which it won during the 2003 bid round.
It demanded that all the 35 companies that are identified as having no forms before participating in the 2005 bid round should be made to pay the mandatory $10,000 application fee and $10,000 processing fee to the government immediately.
Said the committee: "The Federal Government should put machinery in place to recover all outstanding signature bonuses, subject to the express provisions of the Production Sharing Contract (PSCs), from the winner of blocks who are in default of payment within a reasonable time but not exceeding 60 (sixty) days from the date of this report. At the expiration of that time frame the award should be revoked regardless of whether or not the blocks are either in development or production as the non-payment of signature bonus is a breach of the fundamental condition of the award of the block."
However, it called for the review of the award of OPLs 321 and 323 to KNOC during the 2005 bid rounds, saying the exercise "violates all principles of transparency in the extractive industry and violates due process."
The committee recommended that the award should be reviewed and cancelled in the national interest while "ONGC Videsh Limited that was the original winners of the block should be given the opportunity to pay the signature bonus of $485 million on the Block."
It further recommended that the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Edmund Daukoru "must be censured for his role in the KNOC saga."
The panel also frowned at the role played by the newly-appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources, Rilwanu Lukman, who was then the Special Adviser to the President on the Petroleum as well as the then Group Managing Director of NNPC, Funso Kupolokun in the administration of the various bid rounds in his capacity as Special Assistant to the President on Petroleum.
"The duo of Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman and Engineer Funso Kupolokun should be reprimanded for arrogating to themselves the discretionary powers of the Minister," the panel said.
It noted further that: "The various acts of reprehensible conduct exhibited by the administrators of the bid rounds should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant agencies (the Police, EFCC and the ICPC) with a view to prosecuting those persons whose actions and conduct were induced by improper motives. The rules and regulations for Local Content Vehicle participation in the process should be clearly developed and enacted."
It condemned former President Olusegun Obasanjo for occupying the position of Minister of Petroleum at the same time while in power, insisting that "it is unconstitutional."
The panel said: "This constitutional anomaly potentially undermines the legal process of the bid round as it can be contended that there was no minister constitutionally recognised that oversaw the bid rounds in accordance with section 2 of the Petroleum Act."
The panel also frowned at the rush with which the 2007 bid round was organised within two weeks of the handover ceremony to President Umaru Yar'Adua.

http://www.independentngonline.com/news/tfpg/article01

i was so disappointed in Yar'adua ,he appointed Rilwan Lukman agn? ah! it's a pity , as if there are only 20,000 people in Nigeria,we are not ready to change

benlay:

i was so disappointed in Yar'adua ,he appointed Rilwan Lukman agn? ah! it's a pity , as if there are only 20,000 people in Nigeria,we are not ready to change

too late. you voted for him, you got to live with his decisions, albeit, foolish ones.

I am with you guys on this one. Rilwan Lukman is way too old. It also shows that we have a leadership bereft of ideas. I am not sure if we lack people. They say a leader is as good as his successor. Are we saying Lukman was working alone? There should be dozens of qualified people available to replace him if he was such a great leader.

Experience? This has always been a Catch-22 argument. How do you get experience if you are not given a chance to serve? 2 years from now, Obama would be heralded as a man with experience way above Hilary Clinton. Just imagine how experience comes. Lukman must have functioned with little or no delegation of duties or else he would have submitted a list of viable candidates and rejected this appointment. He was there 20 years ago and 20 years later, no young, energetic and visionary replacement? Something is definitely wrong here. Even if he can do the job (i pray so), he has totally failed as a leader. What if he was dead? I don't wish him that. But, what if? Then, we won't have a candidate for that post?

Rilwan Lukman? Can u get a different result by the same thing the same way over and over again?

Sidon look?