A fitting helmsman at DPR

The recent announcement of Sarki Auwalu as the substantive Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would hardly trigger a shock in the minds of many ardent watchers of that critical revenue-generating agency. On the contrary, to those that have always desired a new dawn in the agency, it was one invigorating piece of news. Auwalu’s […]

The recent announcement of Sarki Auwalu as the substantive Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would hardly trigger a shock in the minds of many ardent watchers of that critical revenue-generating agency. On the contrary, to those that have always desired a new dawn in the agency, it was one invigorating piece of news.

Auwalu’s appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari was announced earlier in the month, provoking an immediate cascade of superlative commendations from stakeholders in the oil industry.

Auwalu’s appointment as substantive director would stabilise operations at the government agency because, before Auwalu’s appointment, the absence of a substantive head at the DPR had affected the productivity at the department due to the infighting over who among the deputy directors would occupy the office.

For those with a fair knowledge of the man and his antecedents, Buhari could not have picked a more fitting individual. Auwalu packs a felicitous combination of intellect, grit, conscientiousness and a deep hunger for excellence in his frame. And this he has done even long before he joined the DPR as Principal Chemical Engineer 21 years ago.

He has been described as an energetic, resourceful and self-motivated professional in the petroleum industry with about three decades of experience.

Born in 1965, the new DPR helmsman had a good record of sterling academic accomplishments before he joined the DPR. Obviously, these academic acquirements did a yeoman’s job in preparing Auwalu for an industry where he has since been a major player.

As DPR director, Sarki Auwalu is no doubt a round peg in a round hole. And not too many people would be surprised that he hit the ground running, literally, immediately after his appointment.

Just days after he was named DPR director, the agency, under his leadership, unveiled a set of new guidelines of operations for the upstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The regulatory document, one gathered, is part of efforts geared towards limiting the cost of oil production in the country by five per cent, as demanded by the federal government and to make companies focus more on exploration.

Some of the new guidelines are Work Programme and Budget Automation, Rig and Vessel Work Automation, Drilling/Completion/Re-entry Work Process Automation and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Contract Advertising Portal (NOGCAP).

Mr. Auwalu explained that the government target of three million barrels per day (mbpd) of oil production and crude condense classification was yet to be achieved as the country still produces 2.2 million barrels per day. The shortfall, he noted, is caused by a myriad of factors among which are technical issues, vandalism, process offset and crude theft. He reiterated his determination to curtail such encumbrances.

The new DPR director, while highlighting the significance of the new guidelines, had noted: “The new document would improve efficiency in the industry, increase transparency, and bring in new initiatives that would change the dynamics of the industry in terms of automation and digitalisation.”

Some analysts have opined that Auwalu’s appointment was part of efforts by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to strengthen the DPR for optimal revenue generation.

Buhari had, in his Independence Day Broadcast in October, averred that revenue generating agencies that failed to meet agreed targets would be sanctioned.

The president said: “Our revenue-generating and reporting agencies will come under much greater scrutiny, going forward, as the new performance management framework will reward exceptional revenue performance, while severe consequences will attend failures to achieve agreed revenue targets.”

With his pedigree, Auwalu is expected to make a success of his new position.

James Ade-Solomon sent in this piece from Abuja