The Senate is on the neck of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over alleged expenditure of hefty N12 trillion on the Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) of the country’s non-functional refineries.
At the centre of the allegation are Mele Kyari, NNPCL’s Chief Executive Officer and other top executives to properly explain the suspicious expenditure.
The Senate said it has substantial records of expenditure on TAM, detailing amounts in dollars, Euros, and pounds spent from 2010 to 2023, but without rejuvenating the ailing refineries.
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These revelations came to the fore during an interactive session with NNPCL management and executives of various agencies in the oil sector.
Some of the invited chief executives failed to attend and were represented by their subordinates, which prompted the Senate to threaten them with dismissal and prosecution.
Senator Isa Jibrin, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, emphasised the need for accountability and solutions to the reported financial leakages in the oil sector.
Jibrin demanded the presence of the chief executives and the submission of required documents within a specified timeframe.
Other senators lent voices for the physical presence of the chief executives in subsequent meetings, emphasizing the importance of upholding legislative procedures and the Constitution.
The agencies were given a deadline to submit the required documents before the scheduled meeting with their chief executives.
The Senate has shown its determination to hold accountable those responsible for financial mismanagement and non-compliance with legislative inquiries.