The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating crude oil theft had insisted on the appearance of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and others before the committee.
An Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives has alleged that some arrested ocean vessels involved in massive underhand dealings had the tacit approval of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating crude oil theft had insisted on the appearance of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and others before the committee.
The others include the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
Rep Alhassan Rurum, the Chairman of the probe panel, disclosed this in Abuja, adding that the heads of the agencies must appear in person and not send representatives.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen had set up the Adhoc Committee in the wake of the 10th House of Representatives, following a motion sponsored by Rep. Philip Agbese (APC - Benue).
But the committee, which is headed by Rurum (NNPP – Kano), was only inaugurated on Thursday, September 7, 2023. It followed frustrations expressed by some critical stakeholders in the oil sector.
The Adhoc Committee chaired by Rurum, said it discovered revelations of massive oil theft which suggested grave collusion of regulatory agencies and their collaborators in the oil and gas sector.
SaharaReporters can confirm that the committee has held extensive interrogations and interactions with security agencies like the Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Police Intelligence and others responsible for the security of oil and gas infrastructures. The committee has also extended invitations to the operators of the Marginal Fields, 14 Production Sharing Contract operators and 57 Joint Venture operators for appearance.
According to the report, some complicit industry operators have boasted that nothing will come out from this House investigation like the previous ones before it. In fact, an official of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the LCCI allegedly bragged that if the committee manages to submit a report to the House, it will just add to the reports piled on the shelves like the others.
SaharaReporters gathered that invitations were sent to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and other stakeholders; but they refused to show up.
Inaugurating the Adhoc committee, Speaker Abbas, who was represented by former House Leader, Rt. Hon. Al Hassan Ado Doguwa, decried that Nigeria had lost over N16 trillion to oil theft in 11 years.
It was alleged, during the committee sitting last week, that most of the Marginal Field Operators were aiding oil theft in order to complement shortfalls in their productions.
The Adhoc committee`s investigation has thus far uncovered a seeming massive corruption and collusion of regulatory agencies at the export loading terminals. The chief culprit of this appears to be the NNPCL as investigation showed that many cases of ocean vessels being impounded for massive underhand dealings had the tacit approval of the company.
To worsen the situation, NNPCL is also alleged to have eased out regulatory agencies whose statutory responsibilities at the terminals would have checkmated massive underreporting of the actual volume of Nigeria’s crude oil being exported. Most of these thefts occur offshore and most of Nigeria’s export loading platforms are offshore.
The committee is also investigating the allegation that many senior and retired officers of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (formerly DPR) may also be complicit as it is alleged that some of them may have vested interests in the Marginal Fields and the abandoned oil wells in the Niger Delta. From the reports received so far, most of the abandoned and non-decommissioned oil wells and pipelines have escalated incidences of oil theft.
Circumstances surrounding the release of arrested and complicit vessels by prosecuting agencies are also being looked into by the committee.
The report noted that Rt Hon. Rurum-led committee may shock the nation with its findings and recommendations. Rurum in his address during the first day of the committee’s public hearing on Thursday, September 7, 2023 informed Nigerians that the committee was committed to doing a thorough job and that its report, if implemented would put to an end the problem of oil theft in Nigeria.
The committee is said to be seriously beaming its searchlight on these operators. Based on the submission of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), some of the Marginal Field Operators in the country include Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited, Prime Exploration & Production (Operator), Suffolk Petroleum Limited and Oriental Energy Resources Limited.
Others are Universal Energy Limited, Prime Exploration & Production (Operator), Pillar Oil Limited, Platform Petroleum Limited, Chorus Energy Limited, Millenium Oil and Gas Limited, Brittania U-Nigeria Limited, Network E&P Limited, Waltersmith Petroman Limited (Operator), Morris Petroleum Limited, Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited, Suntrust Oil Company Limited, Frontier Oil Limited, Energia Limited (Operator), Oando Production and Development Limited, Excel Exploration & Producton Limited and Green Energy International Limited.
Although the Chairman of the Adhoc committee, in his remarks at the continued investigative hearing last Friday, stated that the committee would not jump to conclusions on any allegation and anyone or agency alleged to be involved in anything would have the opportunity to make submissions to the committee, it does appear the committee would be short-lived as indications abound that it would soon be disbanded by the House.
SaharaReporters can confirm that there is general information that all Adhoc committees should fold up and submit reports as the House reconvenes from its long vacation next week.
However, interactions with some members of the committee at the weekend show that the Adhoc committee enjoys the full support of the leadership of the 10th House of Representatives.
“We have full confidence in the Committee Chairman, Rt. Hon. Rurum and we are not in doubt about the willingness of the Honourable Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas to work with this committee and I believe we are working together for the good of this country.
“I’m telling you in good confidence that the committee has made appreciable progress and there are more grounds to be covered. I know it is not easy finding corruption in this country but I tell you, God will help us. By the time this committee finishes and submits its reports, heads will roll and Nigerians will salute the chairman and the leadership of the House for finding solutions to this age-long corruption in the oil and gas sector,” one of the members said.
The hearing of the committee continues on Tuesday and executives or representatives of the NNPCL, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Limited, NIMASA, NIWA, NMDRA, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and federal ministers in charge of Finance, Gas, Petroleum Resources, Industry, Trade and Investment, etc. are expected to be in attendance.