House Summons Sylva, Nami, Others over Fuel Subsidy Probe

•IPMAN distances self from product diversion allegation 

•Lawmakers invite HoS over alleged skewed MDAs’ recruitments

Udora Orizu

The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami and other major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to appear before it unfailingly on July 27, to give account of petroleum products subsidy regime in Nigeria from 2017 to 2021.

The lawmakers had on June 29 while adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Sergius Ogun resolved to set up an

Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the subsidy regime.

But at the investigative hearing yesterday, the Minister, FIRS, AA. Rano and other stakeholders sent representatives, to the disappointment of the lawmakers.

Frowning at the development, the Deputy Speaker Hon. Idris Wase, who declared the investigative hearing open said he was disappointed over the absence of those in authority who were expected to come and give account of what they have done to Nigerians.

He disclosed that the money assumed to have spent on subsidy during the period under review amounted to N4.9 trillion, saying going by the estimation, presently the amount has risen to N6 trillion.

He charged members of the committee to ensure that nobody was spared or made to feel that he or she was above the law.

Corroborating his view, the Chairman of the adhoc committee, Hon. Ibrahim Aliyu described the absence of the stakeholders as unfortunate, unacceptable, undemocratic and an infraction on the separation of powers of the legislature in carrying out one of its legitimate functions of oversight.

He said it was more worrisome that this was happening during an era of change by the very people who should be in the Vanguard of the change mantra to this administration.

Aliyu said, “Let me start by expressing the displeasure of the committee for the nonchalant attitude exhibited by some MDAs as well as some executive of the oil companies for non-compliance on the request of the committee to provide vital information on the subsidy granted by the federal government.

“NNPC should submit details of oil companies and other parties involved in the crude oil swap, direct sales and direct purchase agreement and beneficiaries of those subsidies. We are not here to blackmail or witch-hunt anybody but within the period under review, we are taking about five years to date, a lot had gone wrong. Nigerians are asking questions.”

Moving a motion, a member of the Committee Hon. Mark Gbillah suggested that all agencies not duly represented by their Heads, should not be allowed to make presentations.

Meanwhile, in its presentation, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) denied involvement in the diversion of Petroleum Products by any of its members.

IPMAN President Chinedu Okoronkwo said such had been the usual allegation, adding that any marketer found guilty of the act should be treated as criminals.

He accused some petrol depots of selling fuel at the rate of N158 naira per liter instead of the government approved price of N148, saying it was the cause of the hike in pump price.

House Summons HoS over Alleged Skewed MDAs’ Recruitments

Also, the House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Federal Character and Public Service Matters to invite the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Folashade Yemi-Esan and the Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Engr. Sule Abdulaziz to explain the rationale for the alleged marginalisation of Bayelsa and other states in the ongoing recruitments exercise by TCN and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government.

The resolution of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Preye Goodluck Oseke at the plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Oseke noted that the TCN was in the process of concluding a recruitment exercise in which over 400 applicants had been favourably considered.

He also noted that only a few of such successful applicants were from Bayelsa, despite the very many eligibly qualified applicants from the said state.

He further noted that considering youths’ restiveness on account of mass unemployment, the act of bias and uneven distribution of opportunities could negatively impact on unethical conducts perpetrated by youths of the state.

He said, “Concerned that the disequilibrium of the opportunities skewed against Bayelsa State is not only discriminatory, but amounts to a clear breach of sections 14 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on the application of the federal character principle.

“Aware that section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution defines Federal Character as ‘the distinctive desire of the people of Nigeria to promote national unity, foster national loyalty and give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation as expressed in section 14(3) and (4) of the Constitution, which means that beyond the constitutional imperative to comply with the Constitution is the utilitarian value of fairness and justice.

“Worried that the continued marginalisation and discrimination of the people of Bayelsa State in previous and ongoing recruitment exercises by MDAs is a potential cause for disaffection among the teeming unemployed youths in the State who desire gainful employment.”