Ex-MP Gbillah Alleges Presidential Memo Illegally Redirected NUPRC Fees
Mark Gbillah, former House member for Gwer East/West, says a memo from the President’s Chief of Staff ordered the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to split its 4% fee into 2.5% for operations and 1.5% ring-fenced for a metering project. He argues this directive violates the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which clearly grants the entire cost of collection to NUPRC and vests budget appropriation authority with the National Assembly. He calls the memo statements “ultra vires” and warns that executive fiat cannot override statutory law. Gbillah and a group of nonpartisan legislators have filed Freedom of Information requests with the Chief of Staff’s office, the Budget Office, the Central Bank, the Federal Ministry of Finance and NUPRC. They will issue a 72-hour ultimatum for responses, then pursue court action and petitions to hold officials accountable. He cautions that unchecked executive overreach harms Nigeria’s economy and regulatory credibility. He vows to document any misconduct and prosecute responsible parties once they leave office.
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