Reps to probe NNPC, others over fraud allegations

The House of Representatives is set to investigate activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Department of Petroleum Regulations and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency over allegations of fraud, abuse of due process and irregularities in the award of oil blocks since 1999.

A statement by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Suleiman Kawu, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, stated that the investigation was necessitated by petitions from the oil sector.

He listed areas where the alleged frauds were noticed to include awards of crude oil lifting, round tripping, lack of due process in oil block allocations, bloated budgetary allocations and breach of procedures in crude oil lifting.



He said the House was in possession of numerous documents and petitions on the alleged frauds.

Kawu’s statement reads, “We have in our possession documents on all transactions, the companies involved and individuals accused of different degrees of breaches of laid down rules and procedures, fraud, connivance and bribery in the oil industry.

“It therefore behoves on us, as the elected representatives of our people and in furtherance of good governance and transparency in our public institutions, to engender an envisaged positive goal that will satisfy the yearning and expectations of our people.

“Arising from intense consultation and unanimity of majority of members of the House of Representatives and pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the parliament as enshrined in Sections 88(1) a, b sub-sections 1, 11 and in consonance with the request of major stakeholders in the industry, it is imperative for us to take a cursory look into the way and manner the industry is governed.”

He said the proposed probe would not refrain from apportioning blames or reprimanding anybody whose conduct was not found to be above board.

Kawu said the House would, as soon as it resumed, set up “an ad hoc committee to carry out the investigation.”

He, therefore, called on the general public and other well- meaning Nigerians to furnish the proposed committee with useful information that could assist the House in performing its constitutional responsibilities.

In the meantime, members of the Nigeria Governors Forum met in Abuja on Sunday night to take a position ahead of Monday’s National Economic Council meeting.

Our correspondent gathered that the governors discussed the issue of revenue allocation and excess crude account.

The governors, who also discussed the Sovereign Wealth Fund, are expected to table their grievances before President Goodluck Jonathan at the NEC meeting.

Our correspondent gathered that the governors agreed that Sovereign Wealth Fund would further deplete their accounts and that this was capable of affecting their ability to pay minimum wage to their workers.