The face-off between the House of Representatives and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation over the controversial 445,000 crude oil swap contracts is not yet over.
The PUNCH gathered on Wednesday that the ad hoc committee of the House investigating the deals had issued a fresh January 2016 deadline to the corporation to produce evidence of the presidential approval and the NNPC’s board resolutions that authorised the transactions.
Findings by The PUNCH showed that the latest directive came following the failure of the corporation to comply with two similar directives issued by the committee between November and earlier this month.
The swap transactions involved the exchange of crude oil for refined petroleum products in which the corporation gave out 445,000 barrels of crude daily to trading companies.
Efforts by the committee, which is chaired by an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Kwara State, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, to conduct a public hearing on the transactions since November had been stalled due to the alleged “unwillingness of the NNPC to cooperate with the committee.”
One committee official disclosed to The PUNCH on Wednesday that the corporation so far made available documents on contract agreements and shipments, but not the presidential approval and the board resolutions.
“The NNPC had carried out many transactions in the past and they would boldly tell you they were directed by Mr. President.
“In this particular case (crude swap deals), we have been asking for the evidence of the presidential approval or even the board resolutions, and they have not produced any.
“They keep coming up with one excuse or another,” the official stated.
It will be recalled that on December 8, Mohammed had complained bitterly that the corporation had not made available the Presidential approval.
He had said, “They have not submitted the evidence of the approvals.
“But, I will tell you that as a committee, we are not deterred. The investigation has to go on; whether they submit the presidential approval or not.
“We are analysing the documents before us and we are going to open the public hearing before the House will adjourn for the Christmas break.”
The PUNCH observed that the House had since adjourned for the Christmas break, but there was no public hearing, as assured by the committee.
When contacted again on Wednesday (yesterday), Mohammed replied that the hearing had been shifted to January, with a fresh deadline given to the NNPC to produce the much-awaited presidential approval.
He added, “As a committee, we have been conducting our own preliminary findings and research.
“We assure you that by January when the House will resume, all will be set for the public hearing.
“This is a hearing that will not last very long because we would have collated the relevant facts regarding these swap contracts already.
“The hearing will go on whether the NNPC provides the documents or not. We are a committee and we are working in line with the resolution of the House.”
The House had, on June 24, passed a resolution to probe the deals on account of allegations that nine companies benefited from the contracts through the Pipelines Product Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the NNPC.
On the list were Duke Oil, Mercuria, Sahara Group, Aitero, Glencore, Taleveras Nigeria Limited, Entena Oil and Gas, Tranfigura and Ontario Oil and Gas.
The motion on the subject was moved by a member from Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Michael Enyong.
Source: PUNCH.
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