Again, NNPC Boss Shuns Reps Invitation

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) said it would be forced to invite President Muhammadu Buhari if the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Melee Kyari, continues to shun its summons.

The Chairman of the committee, Musa Sarkin-Adar made this known in Abuja at an investigative hearing on the recent revocation of four Oil Mining Licenses watched by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who had earlier made his presentation.

Buhari had on April 23, 2021, approved the restoration of the leases on four Oil Mining Licenses to the NNPC.

The oil licenses affected are OMLs 123, 124, 126 and 137.

The President had directed the Department of Petroleum, DPR to retract the letter of revocation of the leases.

Sarkin-Adar said, “Our message to all those who have failed to appear before us as invited, namely the NNPC, Addax Petroleum Company Ltd and Santex Nig Ltd; we are giving them two weeks from today; we will reschedule this meeting for two weeks calendar days to appear before this committee and we continue our business.

“Unless they want us to invite President Buhari to appear before us as the Minister of Petroleum; if they do not come, we will not hesitate.

“Buhari is a minister; he appointed himself as approved by the parliament and he is doing his job. We will invite him and I know that as the law-abiding President, he will come.”

The lawmaker observed that the committee had asked for relevant documents to investigate the activities of the NNPC, maintaining that the corporation had refused to comply with the directive.

Earlier, Sylva stated that the actions taken by Buhari and the DPR on the OMLs were in accordance with the law.