Reps Receive Petition to Sack NNPCL VP Over Alleged Federal Character Violation

The House of Representatives on Thursday received a petition seeking the removal of Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President (Business Services) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over an alleged violation of the Federal Character principle in her appointment.

The petition, submitted by an Igbo socio-cultural group, Ezi Umuada Igbo, was presented during plenary by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere.

In the petition addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the group alleged that Mrs. Mbakwe, who currently occupies a position designated for the South-East geopolitical zone in the NNPCL’s top management structure, is not an indigene of the region.

The petitioners therefore urged the House to investigate the circumstances surrounding her appointment and ensure full compliance with Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates equitable distribution of federal appointments among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

“We appreciate President Bola Tinubu for finding an Igbo woman worthy of appointment into such a strategic national office.

However, if the individual in question is not a true representative of the South-East, this contradicts the spirit and letter of the Federal Character principle,” the petition stated.

The group further alleged that several key positions within the NNPCL management structure had been skewed in favour of certain regions, warning that such imbalances could foster disunity and feelings of marginalisation.

Presenting the petition, Hon. Ugochinyere said the matter deserved legislative scrutiny in line with the National Assembly’s constitutional duty to uphold equity and fairness in public administration.

“This is a constitutional matter, and as representatives of the people, we must ensure that appointments into federal agencies reflect true national balance,” he said.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, referred the petition to the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and the Committee on Federal Character for further investigation and report.

Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe was appointed Executive Vice President, Business Services of the NNPCL earlier this year as part of the company’s ongoing management restructuring.