Again, House Summons Kyari, Sylva, Others over Poor State of Refineries

Udora Orizu

The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the state of refineries in the country has for the third time summoned the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari and Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva to appear before it unfailingly on Thursday, 28th April, to give account of the true state of refineries and why they are not functioning despite $3.7 billion awarded for their rehabilitation.
The Committee also extended the summon to other relevant key government stakeholders including the  Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC), the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
The Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila had on January 26, constituted the Adhoc committee mandating them to work with the NNPC, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and other relevant stakeholders to obtain the needed information in order to carry out the assignment.
The Committee therefore in two separate letters, on February 24th and March 17th, 2022 requested the GMD of the NNPC for a Status Report on the Nation’s Refineries. The lawmakers specifically requested the GMD to provide, “Appraisal of the current state of refineries in the Country: from year 2012 to date, Copies of annual budgets on rehabilitation by the refineries from year 2012 to date, list of approvals/fund releases for rehabilitation of refineries from year 2012 to date, list of all Contracts awarded for rehabilitation of refineries and award letters issued to service providers and contractors from year 2012 to date, actual Cost of Projects (Contracts) and Review (if any) stated in naira, Work Completion Certificates issued on rehabilitation projects carried out on refineries from year 2012 to date and Evidence of payments made for all such contracts awarded from year 2012 to date.”
Others are list of service providers and contractors that handled the rehabilitation of refineries from year 2012 to date and any other relevant information to assist the Committee in the course of the assignment.”
At the investigative hearing, rescheduled for the third time, the NNPC GMD and relevant stakeholders were absent.
Frowning at the development, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson said the lawmakers were aware that the NNPC recently awarded contracts for Rehabilitation of Refineries to the tune of $3.7 billion.
According to him, the contract was said to have been executed, but the refineries are still not working.
He alleged that for Kyari, Sylva and others to fail on three occasions to appear before parliament meant that they have something to hide.
He therefore summoned them to appear before the Committee next week, adding that failure to do so, legal, constitutional and parliamentary measures would be taken against them in order to compel them to appear.
Johnson said, “We are compelled to make this press statement because of the continued refusal and flagrant disregard of the GMD of the NNPC, the 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.
“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 Doilars spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries over the years.”