The House of Representatives’ special ad-hoc committee on petroleum product subsidy regime from 2017 to 2021 on Wednesday expressed anger over the absence of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd GMD, Mele Kyari and others at its investigative hearing.
Daily Trust reports that the House had on June 30 resolved to investigate the petroleum products subsidy regime in Nigeria from 2017 to 2021, and has set up an ad hoc committee to carry out the probe.
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The decision of the parliament followed the adoption of a motion, titled: “Need to Investigate the Petroleum Products Subsidy Regime in Nigeria from 2017 to 2021”, presented by Sergius Ose Ogun, representing Uromi/Esan North East federal constituency of Edo State at plenary.
Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Aliyu, while speaking at the beginning of the investigative hearing, said it was sad that the critical stakeholders invited to the hearing did not show up with some of them sending representatives before the committee.
The committee, therefore, directed that the Minister overseeing the Ministry of Petroleum appear in person before the committee on Wednesday next week with all necessary documents and data that will guide the committee in carrying out its assignment.
The committee also turned back representatives of some of the invited organisations, insisting the chief executive officers of such organisations must appear in person.
Speaking in the same vein, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, decried the absence of critical stakeholders in the ongoing investigative hearing.
Wase, while declaring the investigative hearing open at the National Assembly on Wednesday, observed that most of the critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry were not present.
The deputy speaker, who represented Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila at the event, said he was disappointed by the absence of those in authority who were expected to come and give an account of what they have done to Nigerians.
He said the quantum of money assumed to have been spent on subsidy during the period under review amounted to over N4.9tr, saying the matter needed to be given the needed attention by all stakeholders.
He charged the special ad-hoc committee to ensure that nobody is spared or made to feel that he or she is above the law.
Wase assured the committee that the House is ever ready to give them the necessary support and cooperation to ensure that the right thing is done for the interest of the country and for the benefit of Nigerians.
