Reps Threaten To Sanction Oil Firms For Shunning Summons

House of Representatives committee investigating the implementation of corporate social responsibility by multinational oil companies operating in the south-south zone has threatened to sanction them for refusing to honour legislative invitations.

The committee’s chairman, Hon. Lilian Orogbu who made the threat at the resumed hearing of the panel expressed displeasure over the disrespectful attitude of some of the companies to the Nigerian parliament.

Orogbu, who said some of the companies have been ignoring invitations from the committee, noted that after three other invitations, it will be left with no option but to invoke the powers or the parliament on the affected companies.

She said: “We don’t know who you are. This committee was formed to investigate petitions coming from those places where you operate. Series of petitions coming from your host communities. We are not here to witch-hunt anybody, not by any means.

“We are here to work together to see that your operations are carried out with all sense of responsibility and that those communities where you operate feel happy that they are also benefiting from these companies operating in their midst.

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“We are here to work with you and in the area where you are not meeting up, the committee will advise you to do the needful and we will come on sight to oversee what you are doing. But don’t make us look as if we are witch-hunting you.

“But if we find out that your company has become a troublesome company to this committee, I will wield everything I have and the committee will use all its powers to fight back. So please, we would want you to conduct yourself in the most appropriate manner expected of companies of your repute”.

Noting that the hearing was a follow-up to the one earlier held on March 6, the Professor of Business Administration said the meeting was part of efforts being undertaken to ascertain the implementation of corporate social responsibility by multinational oil companies and other corporate bodies operating in the south-south zone.