By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives, yesterday summoned the Minister of state for Petroleum, Timipre Silva, Group Managing Director, NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari and two others for failure to appear before parliament over controversial $3.7 billion contract to rehabilitate the three refineries in the country.
This was just as the Lawmakers insisted that the refused of the GMD to appear before them only “shows that he is not working in the interest of country, adding that the GMD is sabotaging the efforts of the President to give Nigerians better lives.
Others summoned are, General Manager, Port Harcourt Refinery Company Limited, General Manager, Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited and that of Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited.
The Chairman of the House ad-hoc Committee on the State of Refineries in the country, Hon Ganiyu Johnson who disclosed this while briefing the newsmen said the contract is said to have been executed, money paid but the refineries are still not working.
He disclosed that the Minister of state, NNPC GMD and others to fail on three occasions to appear before parliament means that they have something to hide.
He said “We have a situation here! You may all recall that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila in January, 2022 constituted this Committee to determine actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries and what is needed to bring them back to maximum refining capacity.
“The Committee was mandated to determine the true state of the Refineries, ascertain the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries and what is needed for the refineries to function at maximum refining capacity.
“The Committee therefore relying on relevant laws and pursuant to the provisions of sections 62, 88, and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), requested the GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to forward a Status Report on the Nation’s Refineries and the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries from 2012 to date. The Committee specifically requested the GMD to provide the following: Appraisal of the current state of refineries in the Country: Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC); Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) from year 2012 to date.
ii. Copies of annual budgets on rehabilitation by the refineries: Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC); Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC)) from year 2012 to date.
“ List of approvals/fund releases for rehabilitation of refineries from year 2012 to date. iv. List ofall Contracts awarded for rehabilitation of refineries and avard letters issued to service providers and contractors from year voi to date.
Actual Cost of Projects (Contracts) and Review (if any) stated in Naira.
vi. Work Completion Certificates issued on rehabilitation projects carried out on refineries from year 2012 to date.
vii. Evidence of payments made for all such contracts awarded from year 2012 to date.
viii. List of service providers and contractors that handled the rehabilitation of refineries from year 2012 to date.
ix. Any other relevant information to assist the Committee in the course of this assignment.
“We are compelled to make this Press Statement because of the continued refusal and flagrant disregard of the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries to the invitations to appear before the Committee.
“We consider this continued refusal and negligence to appear before the Committee as disrespect to the Leadership of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Committee is worried that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Warri Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (KRPC) had all been operating at gross losses since 2010 before they were finally shut down in 2019.
“This Committee has the mandate of the House of Representatives and the Constitutional responsibility to demand accountability from those in positions of managing our resources. It is worrisome that the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries have refused on three invitations to appear before the Committee to account for the Billions of Dollars spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries over the years.
“The Committee is aware that the NNPC recently awarded contracts for Rehabilitation of Refineries in the following sums: WRPC $900 Million PHRC $1.5 Billion KRPC $1.3 Billion
“As Chairman of this Honourable Committee, I hereby summon the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries to appear before the Committee on Thursday 28 April, 2022 to avoid legal, constitutional and parliamentary measures to be taken against them in order to compel them to appear.
