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Nigeria: Reps Vow to Summon Yar'Adua, Obasanjo If
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Vanguard (Lagos)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Tordue Salem
The 26-member House of Representatives Committee investigating the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries from 1999-2007, has said it would not hesitate to invite President Umaru Yar'Adua and his predecessor Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to answer questions on their stewardship in the years under review.
The Committee said this while declaring the probe open to newsmen at the National Assembly Complex on yesterday.
The Committee also pledged to engage international technocrats and foreign experts in the energy sector to help lawmakers in unraveling the hidden records of transaction in the energy sector for all those years, also vowing through its statement not to spare NNPC joint-venture Partners, like Chevron-Texaco, Shell and Mobil.
The Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Rep. Igo Aguma, while responding to questions from journalists, said" We have said from the ongoing that all necessary records of transactions of the NNPC, its subsidiaries, as well as the records of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), will be considered and looked into for the period under review.
"We were given terms of reference and we shall not deviate from the terms of reference. It should be put on record that our Committee is not out for witch-hunting. Our Committee was set up primarily to look at the pitfalls in the industry and come up with a model that is enduring and ensure transparency and accountability that will be bequeathed to the ongoing reforms in the oil sector.
"As for whether we would invite the Former President, I would like to say that he has responded adequately to all questions that the House of Representatives had ever put forward to him, both in and out of office. So there is no big issue to invite Obasanjo to the House of Representatives, neither is there any issue to invite (Aminu) Masari or (Austin) Opara or anybody or even the serving Speaker. It is not a big issue, to even invite the serving Speaker (Dimeji Bankole) to answer questions or to even invite the serving President who also happens to be a Minister of Petroleum.
A three-page press statement jointly-issued on behalf of the 26-member Committee by Reps Igo Aguma (PDPRivers), Halims Agoda(PDP, Delta), Leo Ogor(PDP Delta) Abike Dabiri(AC, Lagos), Clever Ikisikpo(PDP Bayelsa), David Idoko(PDP Benue), Uche Ekwunife(PDP Anambra),Yusuf Maitama Tuggar(PDP Bauchi) and three others, stated that: "Arising from the foregoing mandate, the ad hoc Committee wishes to state that it intends to examine all necessary records of transactions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), its subsidiaries as well as the records of the Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR) and related organisations in the industry, for the period under review.
"The ad-hoc committee wishes to state that in carrying out its task, it shall not deviate from its terms of reference, and shall not encourage acts of indolence and disregard in the level of response to enquiries that shall be made by the Committee
Consequently, the ad hoc Committee advises the management and the staffers of these organisations and agencies to be guided by the principles of full disclosures on public assets and liabilities, as well as adherence to the relevant laws that provide security for all forms of public property.
"The ad hoc Committee further enjoins all stakeholders and members of the public to avail themselves of the opportunity being offered by this body to assist Nigeria to become a better society built on fairness, and social justice by being part of the public hearings that will commence soon.
He said "Members of the Committee will be guided by the extant relevant laws and civilised principles in carrying out its assignment.
"This is in view to finding the root cause of the problems in the industry. Therefore the task before this Committee is not just one of those public enquiries, but one that should be dispassionately handled, with every sense of altruism and patriotism from all concerned."
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The statement added that "Joint-venture partners(Shell, Mobil, Chevron and others), are not excluded from the goodwill of the House of Representatives in setting up the ad-hoc Committee. This effort is part of the total strategic foresight of democracy to reposition the Country to proactively think, plan, and implement public policies for a better managed economy".
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