Reps kick against Exxonmobile over contract abuse

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating contract abuse by ExxonMobil yesterday kicked against the oil giant over contract abuse and gross violation of indigenous catering firm’s right.
Hon. Legor Idagbo, Chairman of the Committee expressed concern at the rate its pleas are being disregarded at the House C’ttee investigative hearing on Tuesday in Abuja.
Idagbo said that the House frown at the way ExxonMobil was treating indigenous catering companies, while condemning the complete disregard of its advised by the company.
The House had written to the oil giant to put on hold its ongoing catering bidding exercise pending the determination of the petition before it.
The house requested for a suspension of the process following a petition on abuse of bidding process levied against the management of ExxonMobil by the Indigenous catering firm of Nigeria.
He said that ExxonMobil was supposed to have respected the content of a letter forwarded to it by the committee to suspend the ongoing contract bidding process.
The committee also made observations on certain aspects of the contract process after listening to both ExxonMobil and members of the Indigenous catering firm.
Mr Olusegun Banwo, the Executive Director, Finance however tried albiet effortlessly to defend the affront by ExxonMobil on the Parliament.
He said that some of the indigenous catering firm did not meet the requirement, adding that some who were given initially could not meet up.
He said that some of them had to re award the contract to the same foreigners, thereby necessitating their action.
Mrs Ifeoma Ibanga, concern indigenous catering firm while making her presentation said that ExxonMobil deliberately shut them out in a bid to favour some foreigners who were caterers.
She asked the House of Reps to follow the Act that compel the company to obey the laws allowing the indigenous company to be engaged in such contract.
Meanwhile, the committee had earlier dismissed representatives of National Petroleum Investment Management Service for failure on the part of its Managing Director to appear in person before the House.
The House also raised concerns over what it terms the levity with which MDs of multinational corporations treat invitations by the Parliament.
The Committee however adjourned until May to continue the investigation with a charge that ExxonMobil furnished the parliament with details and evidence of it’s claims.