TheCable

Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC), has asked his management team to double their efforts to increase the country’s oil revenue.

Komolafe said this on Wednesday at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) office in Abuja.

On Monday, Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, inauguratedKomolafe as CEO) of the NURC.

Komolafe assured the top officials that he would be fair to everyone, urging them to purge any preconceived notions or bickering that would ultimately affect the quality of service they deliver to Nigerians.

He also pledged to continuously engage with the workers to stave off any unnecessary altercation.

While describing the situation of the global oil industry as “critical”, he emphasised that the energy transition pose a challenge to be surmounted by industry players.

“We are coming in at a point when the expectations are high; the nation has very high expectations,” he said.

“In the international community, we are at a very critical moment in the life of the industry. We are coming in at a point when there is the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable which is competing.

“It is competing with the need for the nation to have increased revenue to fund our social budgeting and our critical infrastructure.

“So, that itself places on us a challenge that needs us to double our efforts, roll our sleeves and begin to hit the ground running and meet the aspirations of the nation.”

He reiterated FG’s position that jobs will be protected although location and responsibilities might change.

“One other good thing I read in the law is that people will not be placed below their previous position. So, that is already cast in the law. And that in itself is very assuring to everybody that there should be no anxiety whatsoever,” he said.

“What should be of concern to us now which has been my concern in the last 24 hours is that we must all work to ensure there is no job stoppage, no distortion to activities in the sense that the industry is very time sensitive. What we all know is that a delay for 24 hours is a lot of delay in the industry.

“We should all ensure at this transition period that we are time conscious and that we do not create anything that will lead to aggravation of costs at a point when the nation requires every revenue.

“We will ensure that we don’t do anything that will cost the nation any loss of revenue. I am a democrat. I believe in the right of people to know and to have information.

“So, I am going to operate an open door policy, and as I said, I am going to be very fair and just to everyone.”

He noted that all outstanding matters facing the organisation will be resolved one by one.

“This is just to assure you that we are building a brand new organisation with a brand new culture. We owe it a duty to perform. And we all have the capability to discharge and we will deliver,” he said.