Lawyers Seek NNPCL Chiefs’ Suspension For Oil Sector Probe

Twenty constitutional lawyers have called on the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream) to conduct a forensic investigation into the state of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and downstream sector to recommend the suspension of the company‘s group chief executive officer (GCEO).

They also asked the committee to recommend to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the suspension of Lawal Sade, the managing director of NNPC Trading Company and Bala Wunti, the chief upstream investment officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) till the end of the investigation.

According to them, putting the trio aside will give room for uninterrupted investigation as they could no longer have access to sensitive information and documents to derail the crucial exercise aimed at addressing the stunning allegations of sharp practices being perpetrated right under their nose.

At a press conference in Abuja, the legal practitioners led by human rights activist, Comrade Tijani Usman, insisted that Kyari and others in the NNPCL management were not concerned about President Bola Tinubu‘s efforts to salvage the nation‘s economy.

The lawyers equally urged the Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (Downstream) and Hon. Henry Okojie (Midstream)-led probe panel not to sweep the OVH Acquisition and other sleaze under the carpet as they are the larger issues the committee should look into beyond those raised in the motion that prompted the forensic investigation.

Usman said, “It is quite fascinating that the House of Representatives has resolved to carry out a forensic investigation into the presence of middlemen in trading, the indiscriminate issuance of licenses, the unavailability of laboratories to check adulterated products, the influx of adulterated products into the country, the allegation of non-domestication of profits realised from crude marketing sales in local banks, and other anomalies.

Interestingly too, the forensic investigation also covers the importation of substandard products and high-sulphur diesel into Nigeria, the sale of petroleum products below fair market value, and the impact on downstream and local refineries and as the source of funds for such interventions, amongst other things, and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.

However, this would be efforts in futility if the Group Chief Executive Officer (GEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari and others, especially Lawal Sade, the Managing Director of NNPC Trading Company and Bala Wunti, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) are allowed to remain in office while the investigation is being conducted.

Thus, we urge the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream) conducting a forensic investigation into the state of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and downstream sector generally to recommend their suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or else they will use their tremendous influence to sabotage this timely intervention.