By Ikenna Omeje

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Sarki Auwalu as the substantive director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). He is  to replace Ahmed Shakur who was appointed Acting Director of the regulatory body in June this year following the expiration of the tenure of the former Director, Mordecai Ladan.

This was contained in a statement issued by presidntial spokesman, Femi Adesina  on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Auwalu who is a chemical engineer by training, joined the DPR in 1998 as principal chemical engineer.

Adesina described the graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria,  as “a driving force” of the DPR.

The statement read,”The new Director is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and had his post-graduate studies at Bayero University, Kano, and PETRAD Norway, PetroSkill USA, among other institutions.”

Continuing, the statement added ,”Auwalu is Associate Member, Institute of Chemical Engineers, UK; Member, Society of Petroleum Engineers; Member, Nigerian Society of Engineers; and Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN).”