Buhari’s Aide, Bashir Ahmad Denies Being Appointed Manager Of Department Of Petroleum Resources

By Edna Wande Last updated Feb 15, 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, has on Monday, debunked reports of being ‘quietly’ appointed as manager of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

According to Peoples Gazette, President Buhari quietly appointed the 29-year-old, who served as personal assistant to Buhari on new media since 2016, as a manager of DPR.

However, reacting to the development, Ahmad in a tweet via his Twitter handle said the report was false.

He tweeted;

A friend sent me a link to a concocted story from an online news blog that the President has quietly appointed me as a manager of the DPR, Department of Petroleum Resources, for those who want to know the truth, the story is 100% FALSE. I am not a staff of the DPR.

A friend sent me a link to a concocted story from an online news blog that the President has quietly appointed me as a manager of the DPR, a department of Ministry of Petroleum Resources, for those who want to know the truth, the story is 100% FALSE. I am not a staff of the DPR.

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) February 15, 2021

The publication stated that four officials at the presidency and DPR confirmed the new appointment.

It added that, according to the sources, Ahmad’s alleged new role supersedes his work experience and area of expertise.

The publication added that Ahmad hustled his way in as the head of the newly-established National Production Monitoring System (NPMS) of DPR – Nigeria’s preeminent oil and gas sector regulator.

A State House official familiar with the appointment told the Gazette;

Bashir got the appointment early January, but his documentation took place last week. It was delayed following the death of one of his friends, Jamilu Ibrahim Shinkafi, in an accident along Bauchi-Nasarawa Road, precisely in Akwanga in Nasarawa.

The fatal auto crash was said to have occurred whilst the deceased was returning from the wedding of Ibrahim Rabo, an aide to communications minister Isa Pantami on January 31.

The official said;

It was the wedding that Bashir was seen amongst those not on face masks. So they deferred the conclusion of his documentation by a week before it was finally concluded last week.