News
Senate Downstream C’ttee Summons Kyari Over Oil Theft, Dwindling Revenue
The Senate Downstream Petroleum Committee has summoned Melle Kyari, Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL
The summons bother on continuous oil theft, dwindling oil revenue and sundry issues in petroleum sector.
Kyari is billed to appear next Tuesday
The GMD’s invitation also followed an alleged claim that it cannot be summoned by the National Assembly ,having become a limited liability company by virtue of provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL
Though the NNPCL, has disowned the letter allegedly written by it to the Senate Committee on Finance over insulation from appearing before the legislature.
NNPCL had penultimate week clashed with the Senate over the failure of its Group Managing Director, GMD, Mele Kyari to appear for interactive session with its Committee on Finance on the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, MTEF/FSP projections.
Incidentally, the denial of the purported letter is coming on the heels of another summon of the GMD by the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Senate committee on Finance, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC Lagos West), had during the recent interface with heads of various ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, said NNPCL wrote the committee through its Liaison Officer in National Assembly that it is now a limited liability company insulated from appearances before any committee of the second arm of government.
Specifically, Senator Adeola, at the interface, told the NNPCL General Manager Public Affairs, Garbadeen Muhammad that the company is 100 percent owned by the federal government and it can be invited at any time to appear before the lawmakers for any explanation.
But Muhammad at the sideline of appearance of NNPCL before the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) on Wednesday, told journalists that the alleged letter never emanated from the NNPCL.
He said: “After the accusation on the purported letter, we carried out thorough investigation on where such a letter came from and through whose authority but discovered that nothing of such was sent from NNPCL to any committee of the National Assembly.
“We even probed further as regards the authenticity of the letter by taking our liaison officer at the National Assembly to Senator Adeola’ office where the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Finance, changed the narrative from letter to telephone conversation.
“Even at that, we requested for the telephone number of the person who gave such information to the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Finance for required tracking of identity but not given to us .
“The fact of the matter as it is now, is that nobody from NNPCL wrote or called anybody in the National Assembly that the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, has insulated us from appearing before relevant committees of the National Assembly.
“NNPCL is at any time ready to honour any invitation from committees of the National Assembly as regards its operations on Oil and Gas.”
Meanwhile the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), has summoned the Group Managing Director of NNPCL, Mele Kyari to appear before it unfailingly on Tuesday next week by 2pm.
The committee chaired by Senator Mohammad Sabo Nakudu (APC Jigawa South West), said appearance of the GMD before it, will give it required information on steps being taken against oil theft, dwindling revenue, dilapidated state of the Nation’s refineries etc.
The GMD was represented at the rescheduled meeting by the Group Executive Director of NNPCL, Adeyemi Adetunji.
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…..Party Rescinds Sanctions
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rescinded sanctions slammed on former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and ex-Senate President, Pius Anyim, over alleged anti-party activities.
Benue Governor Samuel Ortom, Ibrahim Shema of Kastina state and other party Chieftains also sanctioned got soft landings after a crucial meeting of the national working committee of the party yesterday in Abuja
Recall that the party top shots were suspended by the embattled Iyorchia Ayu leadership over alleged anti party activities
But in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, yesterday Thursday, March 30, the party announced that its National Working Committee,NWC, has reversed the suspension of the party’s chieftains.
Ologunagba noted that the PDP NWC also reversed Governor Ortom’s referral to the party’s disciplinary committee.
He said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its meeting today, Thursday, March 30, 2023, extensively discussed recent developments in the party.
“The NWC recognised the imperativeness of a total reconciliation among party leaders and critical stakeholders for a more cohesive Party in the overall interest of our teeming members and Nigerians in general.
“Consequent upon the above, the NWC reverses the referral of the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Dr. Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee.
“The NWC in the same vein reverses the suspension of the following members of our great party: H.E Ibrahim Shema (Katsina State); Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State); Sen. Pius Anyim (Ebonyi State); Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State); Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State).
“This decision is without prejudice to the powers of the NWC to take necessary disciplinary action against any member of the party at any time pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“The NWC charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our party across the country to be guided by the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) as well as the new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity, and harmony in our party at this critical time.
“The PDP must remain focused as we continue to take every necessary action to recover the stolen mandate freely given by Nigerians to our party and presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal,” the PDP spokesperson stated.
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), yesterday said there was nothing wrong in applying legal means to stop the inauguration of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023 because the February 25, 2023 election that produced him is still being actively challenged in court by leading candidates in the poll.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the so-called alarm raised by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday that some politicians are plotting an interim government should not be used as an obstacle to stop the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) challenging Tinubu’s Victory
The DSS warning followed a petition by the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo that the DSS should invite Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, over their rejection of Tinubu as the President-Elect.
Similarly, Atiku had earlier in March led a protest to the Abuja office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject the result of the February 25 poll declared by the electoral umpire.
Both Atiku and Obi alleged electoral malpractices in the poll and are in court to challenge the declaration of Tinubu as President-Elect by INEC.
HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The Department of State Services should not rope in powerful opposition forces such as Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar with a view to finding some frivolous charges to hang on their necks to frustrate their formidable petitions against the outcome of the February 25 presidential poll.
“The DSS must work for all of Nigeria and not work as errand boys of Tinubu and his allies who only recently made claims that some persons want to stop his swearing in. By the way, there is nothing wrong in applying legal means to stop his inauguration because the election is being actively challenged. Nothing should be used as obstacles to obstruct Obi and Atiku’s petitions.
He advised that ,“The DSS should go after arm smugglers, kidnappers, bandits and terrorists and leave politicking for politicians.”
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council has felicitated with Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector General of Police on his appointment as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
In a statement signed by the union Chairman, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, the union described the appointment as well deserved.
The union expressed optimism that Arase will bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new assignment to his father land.
The union prayed God Almighty to grant him the knowledge and wisdom to reposition the Police Service Commission for better service delivery.
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