Page 10 - AfrOil Week 35 2021

AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

Libyan Oil Ministry at odds with NOC chief

LIBYA THE low-level political dispute between Libya’s existence of the letter to Reuters earlier this
National Oil Corp. (NOC) and the Oil Ministry, week. They said Oun had ordered the probe in
a body created earlier this year by the Govern- response to charges that the NOC head had not
ment of National Unity (GNU), appears to be been abiding by Oil Ministry regulations, the
heating up. news agency said.
The two sides have been at odds for some As of press time, the NOC chairman had
time, largely because Sanalla has been in his post not commented publicly on the matter. How-
since 2014. He began serving in this capacity ever, his company did issue a statement noting
long before the emergence of the GNU follow- that Sanalla had attended a meeting with NOC
ing the signing of a permanent ceasefire agree- executives and managers, as well as members of
ment last autumn. the board of directors, in Tripoli on August 29.
Sanalla has worked hard to remain neutral Al-Awkali was among those in attendance, the
throughout the civil war that came to a close statement noted.
with the finalisation of the ceasefire deal, on the NOC did not reveal many details of the meet-
grounds that he had to ensure that NOC could ing, and it is not clear whether those present
continue to serve and generate funds for the discussed Oun’s bid to push Sanalla out of his
entire country, even at a time of domestic con- position. Reuters commented that the oil min-
flict. Nevertheless, Oil Minister Mohamed Oun ister might not have an easy time ousting the
has remained suspicious of him. NOC head, as that cabinet department has not
According to a report from Reuters, the been explicitly authorised to fill the company’s
quarrel gained momentum last week, when top executive post. ™
Oun asserted that Sanalla was not authorised to
act as the head of NOC while travelling abroad,
and named Jadallah al-Awkali, a member of
the state-run company’s board of directors, as
interim chairman. Sanalla responded by reject-
ing Oun’s decision, saying that the minister had
not been given the legal authority to appoint a
new leader for the national oil concern.
The NOC chairman’s stance is rooted in
Libya’s long-standing practice of treating the
position as a sovereign post that requires the
approval of other political bodies, such as the
Parliament. Oun, however, has insisted that
his ministry has jurisdiction over the choice
of a chairman. On August 29, he issued a letter
declaring that Sanalla had been suspended and
was under investigation.
Sources inside the ministry confirmed the Sanalla has served as the head of NOC since 2014 (Image: NOC)

NNPC, Kaduna state sign MoU

on gas supplies and utilisation

NIGERIA NIGERIAN National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) document would help make more gas available
has entered into a memorandum of under- to industrial consumers in Kaduna.
standing (MoU) with the Kaduna state govern- “We all know that Kaduna used to be a hub
ment on increasing natural gas deliveries and when it comes to industries,” he commented. “It
consumption. is our hope that this MoU signing will help pro-
According to local press reports, the two vide the gas needed for some of those industries
sides signed the MoU at a ceremony earlier this to come back to life.”
week. Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group management Kyari did not name any potential gas buyers
director, said at the event that he hoped the in Kaduna.

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 35 01•September•2021