DPR Suspends Three Officials Accused Of Leaking Bashir Ahmad’s Appointment Information

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has reportedly suspended three officials accused of leaking internal documents to the public.

The suspension came one week after People Gazette exposed how President Muhammadu Buhari “quietly” appointed his media aide, Bashir Ahmad, as Manager of the newly-established National Production Monitoring System (NPMS)

On February 15, 2021,  Ahmad was appointed to supervise the NPMS — a powerful and lucrative division at the DPR — “a role that supersedes his work experience and area of expertise.”

Mr. Ahmad, a former Hausa language reporter who was not qualified for the job, denied the allegations, claiming he doesn’t even know where the DPR office is located.

However, a fresh report by People Gazette indicates that three officials were suspended in February on allegations of disclosing restricted internal communications of the energy sector regulator.

A letter dated February 23, 2021, conveyed the directive of DPR’s chief executive — in league with the agency’s management board — to indefinitely suspend the accused personnel pending the conclusion of an internal probe on the matter.

Ms. Obianuju Akwunwa of the DPR’s public affairs unit, and another staff member identified as Moedu B.O., were wrongfully singled out for retribution by the oil and gas regulatory body. T

The Gazette also obtained the first draft of the controversial suspension letter that went to Ms. Akwunwa, who could not be reached for comments.

A third official, identified as S.H. Hussaini, deputy manager, personnel information, promotion and discipline, was also suspended, days after he signed the suspension letter of Ms. Akwunwa.

Although three officials were suspended, the Gazette was only able to obtain Ms. Akwunwa’s suspension letter, which nonetheless confirmed the rage of DPR’s management officials and their blinded ambition to quietly punish innocent officials for a story they had publicly denied as untrue.

It was also unclear whether or not the two other officials were also suspended indefinitely like Ms. Akwunwa.

KanyiDaily recalls that in September 2020, President Buhari came under fire for allegedly authorizing the use of the Presidential Jet for the wedding of Bashir Ahmad.