Efforts of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) to commence the investigation into the alleged $20 billion scandal have been stalled by the overseas trip embarked upon by Diezani Allison Madueke, the minister of petroleum.
Top management team of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), including its Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu and the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) via separate letters delivered to the committee few minutes before the investigative public hearing, begged for more time to respond to the queries raised by the Committee.
The Dakuku Peterside-led committee was mandated to investigate issues surrounding kerosene supply, distribution and subsidy payments from the year 2010 to 2013.
The Committee had in the separate letters sent to the key stakeholders requested for submission of all relevant detailed information as it relates to approvals on kerosene subsidy, source of money for payment of the subsidy, budgetary approvals, kerosene import details, PFI allocation and product distribution chart, PPPRA authorization and validations, auditors approval and reports, relevant shipping documents and all other documents that will assist the committee in discharging its responsibility.
While responding, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources in a letter dated 7th February 2014, requested for a rescheduling of the public hearing.
“I wish to inform you that the Honourale Minister together with the top management if the Ministry and its agencies will be participating in the International Summit on Power Financing starting today, 10th February, 2014”, the permanent secretary wrote.
“As a result, we regret to inform you of our inability to honour your invitation. We are also currently engaged with the Senate Committee on Finance and it is not clear when their hearing will end”.
On its part, M. B Bamanga, NNPC’s General Manager (National Assembly Liaison) in a letter dated 7th February 2014 appealed to the Chairman to “allow NNPC and its subsidiary sufficient time to collate the required documents and reschedule an alternate date for the appearance of our organization at the hearing”.
In a related development, Engineer G. O Komolafe who wrote on behalf of PPMC management, requested for additional time to collate relevant documents.
Chairman of the Committee, Dakuku Peterside announced that the public hearing will hold on 18th February 2014, saying: “It is not in the character of the seventh National Assembly to waste people’s time. On behalf of the committee, I want to apologise to you, we are going to be compelled by circumstances to put off this hearing to February 18.
“We owe you a duty to carry out the investigation; we will not let you down. We want to apologise once more; we will move on with the hearing February 18th.”.
