Tashikalmah Hallah
23 July 2008
The ad-hoc committee setup by the House of Representatives to investigate the oil and gas sector will commence its public hearing today with the invitation of all petroleum ministers between 1999 to date. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the Minister of Petroleum Resources during his eight-year tenure.
The chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Rep. Igo Aguma (PDP, Rivers) said: "We should not sensetionalise the issues. All ministers and directors of petroleum within the year under review have been summoned to come to clarify issues.
"We have decided not to take briefing by proxy. Everybody must appear in person. All ministers, all directors who served during the period will appear. Whoever that needs to come here and clarify any issue or answer any question will be made to appear."
The House three months ago passed a resolution, mandating the ad hoc committee to probe into the activities of the petroleum sector from May 1999 to May 2007.
Aguma said: "Those who will come must come responsibly. DPR directors, oil companies and their representatives invited must appear in person. We are not witch-hunting anybody. We want the bare facts to come out".
The ad-hoc committee chairman stated that the committee had to wait three months after the House passed the resolution before commencing its work because of the technicalities involved and the quantum of information needed to be accessed. According to him, the committee decided that there will be no live coverage of the investigation because of the cost implication.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the panel that probed the power sector, Ndudi Elumelu, yesterday denied newspaper reports that he had given a copy of the committee's findings to the anti graft body, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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