Lagos — House of Representatives and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are on a collision course over the running and maintenance of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), which gulped over N10.35 billion in 2009.

Managing Director of the (KRPC), Bolanle Ayodele, said the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the firm which lasted from November 2008 to November 2009 gulped $69 million (N10.350 billion) against the budgeted $75 million.

He added that another TAM is expected to take place after 30 months.

House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) had during a tour of KPRC on the February 16, bemoaned the deficiency of the facility to refine oil despite the huge amount spent on its TAM.

Chairman of the committee, Clever Ikisikpo, who led the team to the facility, expressed displeasure at the efficiency level of the refinery but the NNPC claimed that the committee has contributed to inefficiency in the downstream sector with its inability to pass a bill against pipeline vandalism since its inauguration.

Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Levi Ajuonuma, who undertook another facility tour of the KRPC declared that the corporation was dismayed by Ikisikpo's utterances, pointing out that the House committee should henceforth focus legislative efforts towards creating laws to check the rising spate of pipeline vandalism in the country.

A source close to the House however told Daily Independent that the committee is "embittered seriously by Ajuonuma's attack on its chairman. Nobody can say what they would do for now but I am very sure that the story can not end there".

Ajuonuma had said contrary to claims by Ikisikpo, the refinery was up and running.