The House of Representatives at the weekend threatened to impose relevant sanctions against the Chief Executive Officers of various oil companies and public institutions agencies for failing to appear during the investigation into the $60 billion in inflated cash calls under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Joint Venture Agreements.
Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke, and Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, issue the threat notice and express grief over the absence of accounting officers of the companies invited.
Some of the companies invited by the joint committees are Shell Petroleum, Total Exploration, Mobil, Agip, Chevron, Oando, Pan Ocean, Erotton, Belema, First Exploration, New Cross Exploration, Seplat Petroleum, and Amini International Petroleum.
Others include West Africa Exploration and Production Limited, Walter Smith Petroleum Limited, ND Western Limited, Sahara Energy Limited, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Limited, Neconde Energy Limited, Elcrest Exploration and Production Limited, and Shoreline Natural Resources Limited.
The lawmakers who berated the shoddy presentation made by the few who turned up condemned the habit of sending representatives by the invited companies and agencies.
Piqued by the non-appearance of key stakeholders invited, Hon. Ado-Doguwa disclosed that the joint committee would not hesitate to deploy relevant statutory powers to compel those who attempt to undermine the parliament to appear.
The lawmaker said the agencies are involved with huge amounts of resources that would have been used to better the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians and hence must be held accountable.
Members of the joint committees unanimously resolved to discharge and walk out representatives of Neconde Energy Limited, as well as delete the record of the company’s presentation.
Hence, the lawmakers resolved that the company should reappear on August 7, 2024.
He said, “For those who have not come, obviously, because there were several companies and agencies that were invited, and it’s like they are insensitive to the invitation of this important committee.
“For those who decided to disregard what the Parliament is doing here, then I will have to put it straight: this Committee would not take it lightly with anyone, anybody, an institution who and who, an organisation, or a group of people who undermine the constitutional powers of this House or Institution to investigate the affairs of public finance in this great country, Nigeria.
“I want to believe myself and all members of the committee are of the view that we would be compelled going forward to invoke and also create any means possible to use the available instrumentalities of law to make sure that whoever is invited appears, and if he or she or any organisation decided not to appear, then at the end we would be compelled to use the instrumentalities of the law around us to compel appearance.
“Because obviously, no one of us would take lightly some of the insensitive actions or inactions of some of our government agencies, especially in matters that involve huge amounts of resources.
“Resources that would have been used to better the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians. Resources that would have been used to improve a lot of things in the course of government and the course of governance in our great country, Nigeria.
“So, at this point, I would like to direct the clerk to go through your books and let us have on record those who were invited but have not come to explain the reasons why they did not come.
“And let us also know those who have responded by way of apology or any other reason not to appear, and then the Committee would take appropriate actions in that regard.”
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
