Ogbonnaya Orji was removed from his position as executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) while away on a foreign trip, TheCable can report.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu approved the redeployment of Musa Adar to NEITI, replacing Orji, who had led the agency since February 2021.
TheCable understands that Orji travelled out of the country for an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) event, which took place from November 17 to 18.
Sources said that Orji, who had three months left before the expiration of his five-year tenure, had no prior knowledge that he was to be replaced prematurely.
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The appointment letter of his successor, seen by TheCable, is dated November 14, but the five-year term was said to have taken effect on November 12.
Adar, the new NEITI executive secretary, is a politician who has held various positions in the past.
Between 2007 and 2023, he was a member house of representatives representing Gada/Goronyo federal constituency in Sokoto state.
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Adar chaired the committee on petroleum upstream — which oversees NEITI — in the 9th national assembly.
In 2023, he lost his seat in the green chamber to Bashir Usman Gorau, a 33-year-old unionist.
Before he was appointed to head NEITI, Adar had served as chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
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