Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, has firmly stated that President Tinubu has never referred to himself as the Minister of Petroleum.
This clarification was made during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Onanuga emphasized that the Petroleum Ministry operates under the leadership of two ministers, supervised directly by President Tinubu.
He stated, “The President has never called himself the Minister of Petroleum; it’s you people in the media. We have two ministers and as far as this President is concerned, we have two ministers of petroleum, and one of them focuses on gas.”
The presidential adviser highlighted the administration’s strategic shift towards gas exploration, noting that Nigeria has traditionally overlooked its gas potential.
He remarked, “That’s an area that this government discovered in the past that Nigeria neglected, and Nigeria is more of a gas country than an oil country; President Tinubu is focusing on gas.”
Onanuga further referenced former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who recently acknowledged a misstep in neglecting gas during his tenure.
“Obasanjo said he made a mistake during his time by not focusing on gas, and Tinubu is rectifying that by making sure we focus on gas,” he explained.
In conclusion, Onanuga reiterated the President’s comprehensive supervisory role over his ministers, stating, “The president supervises all his ministers; he’s in charge of everything.”
