The House of Representatives has accepted a petition demanding a review of the South East management position at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), currently held by Sophia Mbakwe, alleging she is not from the region.
Submitted by Ezi Umuada Igbo, a prominent socio-cultural group, the petition was laid before the House on Thursday by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for appointing an Igbo woman to a strategic role, the group argued that Mbakwe’s non-South East origin contravenes Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates federal character in public appointments to promote national unity and prevent regional marginalization.
The petition stated: “The inclusion of a non-South East indigene in a position specifically designated to represent our region is a clear deviation from this principle.”
It urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to replace Mbakwe with a qualified South East indigene, emphasizing the zone’s pool of capable women for such roles.The House is set to investigate the matter in the coming weeks.
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