Tinubu has never called himself minister of petroleum, says Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, says his principal has never called himself the minister of petroleum.

In 2023, Tinubu appointed Ekperipe Ekpo as minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), and Heineken Lokpobiri as minister of state, petroleum resources (oil).

Speaking on the president’s recent cabinet reshuffle, on Sunday, when he featured in a Channels Television programme, Onanuga said the president never saw himself as the substantive petroleum minister.

”You people in the media gave him that position. There are two ministers of petroleum. As far as the president is concerned, there are two ministers there and one of them focuses on gas,“ he said.

”This present government found that in the past, Nigeria neglected that gas sector. Nigeria is more of a gas country than an oil country.

”Former president Obasanjo recently said he made a mistake by not focusing on gas and Tinubu is rectifying that.”

In the last administration, former President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed himself the minister of petroleum resources.

In his first term, Buhari appointed Ibe Kachikwu as minister of state for petroleum resources. Kachikwu was replaced by Timipre Sylva in the second term.