President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) reflects a selective interpretation of the law, especially regarding the timely constitution of governing Boards. The PIA explicitly provides for Boards for both the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
While these Boards were dissolved upon assumption of office, none has been reconstituted within the period implied by the law. Ironically, a Board has been appointed for NNPC Limited, and even for the Infrastructure Fund within the Authority, yet the Authority itself — the parent regulator — remains without its statutory Board. This inconsistency is unfathomable and undermines the very governance principles the PIA sought to institutionalize.
Selective compliance with the law erodes public trust and weakens regulatory independence. Governance by discretion rather than law is dangerous. The end does not justify the means. Spending public funds and implementing policies without lawful oversight tilts governance toward executive absolutism, not reform. True leadership must remain anchored in law, not convenience.
Prof. Omowumi O. Iledare, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics
FNAEE, SrFUSAEE, FEIN
Comment here