The House of Representatives has received and approved a petition from a socio-cultural group, Ezi Umuada Igbo, calling for the removal of Sophia Mbakwe, the Executive Vice President (Business Services) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The group alleges that Mrs. Mbakwe occupies a position designated for the South East region, despite reportedly not being an indigene of the zone.
The petition, submitted by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), during Thursday’s plenary, urged the lawmakers to probe what it described as a breach of the Federal Character Principle in her appointment.
Addressed to the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the petition expressed concern that Mrs. Mbakwe’s appointment as the South East representative on the NNPCL management team contravened constitutional provisions designed to ensure fairness and equitable representation across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Quoting from the document, the petitioners stated, “While we wholeheartedly appreciate His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for considering an Igbo woman worthy of inclusion in such a strategic national position, we must respectfully but firmly express our concern that the said appointee, Mrs. Mbakwe, is not from the South East region and therefore cannot validly represent the zone in accordance with the Federal Character Principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
The Ezi Umuada Igbo Association, a prominent socio-cultural organisation of Igbo women within Nigeria and the diaspora, argued that the South East is home to several capable and qualified women who can effectively represent the region in NNPCL’s top management.
“We therefore urge the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and all relevant authorities to review this appointment and ensure that a qualified daughter of the South East—drawn from the rich pool of competent, experienced, and patriotic Igbo women across our five states—is considered for the position,” the group added.
Following the presentation of the petition, the House of Representatives resolved to refer the matter to its relevant committees for thorough investigation and appropriate legislative action.
What You Should Know
Ezi Umuada Igbo, a leading socio-cultural women’s organisation, petitioned the House of Representatives to challenge the appointment of Sophia Mbakwe as NNPCL’s Executive Vice President (Business Services).
The group argues that the appointment violates Nigeria’s Federal Character Principle since Mbakwe allegedly does not hail from the South East, the region the slot was meant to represent. The petition, presented by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has been officially adopted by the House for investigation.
