HOUSE MOVES TO PROBE $260 MILLION CONTRACT AWARDED BY SUBSIDIARY OF NNPC
The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to investigate the $260 Million contract awarded by the National Petroleum Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to Esso Exploration and Production Limited. Pursuant to the Constitutional provision in section 88, which gives the National Assembly powers to expose corruption, Hon. Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole moved a motion during plenary on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, asking the House to initiate an enquiry into the shady manner in which Esso Exploration and Production Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil got approval to award four single source contracts for projects in ExxonMobil’s Usan Deep water Project for the sum of $260 Million without tendering process.
He informed that NAPIMS had through three memoranda nominated four companies to execute the contracts, noting that this was in violation of due process having failed to obtain approval from both the Board of the NNPC and its Group Executive Committee (GEC). He urged the House to allow the Committee to investigate the matter and report back to the House for further legislative action within 4 weeks.
In another motion during Wednesday’s plenary, the federal Lawmakers have frowned at the Public Complaints Commission for failing to implement the resolution of the House on a petition by Mr. Finidi Jahbless against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) regarding contracts.
Hon. Agbedi Yeitiemone Fredrick who brought the matter before the House averred that the petition was duly investigated and its reported was presented to the House on Wednesday, 26 March, 2014. Accordingly, he stated that the House considered and passed a resolution requesting the Public Complaints Commission to further investigate the matter and report back to the House within eight weeks, but regret to inform that the commission is yet to comply with that resolution.
He prayed the House to mandate its Committee on Legislative Compliance to compel the Commission to explain why the Order of Reference as contained in the resolution was not complied with; adding that the explanation should be done within 14 days.
Meanwhile, pursuant to Order XII, Rule 94 of the House Standing Orders, the House has committed into the Committee of the Whole for consideration, the Independent National Assembly Budget and Research Office Bill. Also, the Anti-Torture Bill, 2015 was referred to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.