The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, on Thursday, struck out a petition brought before it by Media Practitioners in Oil and Gas Producing Areas of Nigeria (Petitioner) against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Inter Atlas Synergy Limited (both Respondents) for lack of merit and diligent prosecution.
The Petitioner, Media Practitioners in Oil and Gas Producing Areas of Nigeria, had written a petition to the Committee against the NNPCL to justify the financial inflow and outflow of the Project Monitoring Office, Inter Atlas Synergy Limited and the reason for dollarizing a local contract, against the CBN Act, in the Pipeline Surveillance Contract in the Western, Eastern and Central Corridors of the Niger Delta Region, as awarded by the NNPCL at the cost of over $60 million.
Counsel to the 2nd Respondent, Dr. Blessing Agbomhere, in his filed address argued that his client, a reputable modern security company has the freedom to enter into contract, so long as such contract does not contradict public policy and also has the right to receive payment of such contract with United States of America Dollars, Crude Oil or even cowries, relying on the cases of Edun v. Federal Republic of Nigeria, P&ID v. Federal Republic of Nigeria and Teju Investment and Property Co. Ltd v. Subair, while insisting that rather than being petitioned, Inter Atlas Synergy Limited should be applauded for its contributions towards increasing crude oil production in Nigeria.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mike Etaba, in his ruling asked the 2nd Respondent’s Counsel, Agbomhere, to state his prayers, since the Petitioners had refused to turn up for the hearing.
Agbomhere prayed the Committee to dismiss the petition for lack of merit and malicious falsehood, pointing out that the petition lacked merit and that the Petitioners have refused to show up for the hearing on two summons.
The Chairman went ahead to strike out the petition.
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