$2.4bn Stolen Crude Probe: Reps Invite Finance Minister, SGF, NNPC, Others
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Oil Theft has invited several high-ranking federal officials to testify about the alleged loss of over $2.4 billion in revenue from the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil export in 2015.
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and the Secretary General of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, are among those invited to answer questions on Tuesday, according to Channels Television.
The acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), among others, have also been summoned.
The committee is also concerned about the disparity in crude oil sales figures from 2011 to 2014, and accuses the finance minister of approving payments to whistleblowers in violation of the whistleblower policy.
The ad hoc House committee is looking into a whistleblower’s claim that Nigerian bonny light crude was illegally sold in China for $2.4 billion in 2015.
In February, the committee accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and Interpol of interfering with the committee’s investigation.
The committee questioned why Interpol would summon a whistleblower at the request of the Ministry of Justice so soon after the House investigation began.
Garba Umar, the Head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol Nigeria, however, stated that the Bureau only acted on the AGF’s request.
The Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee on Oil Theft, Mark Gbillah said, “There is a group called Advocacy for Good Governance and Free Nigeria.
“That is the so-called Civil Society Organisation that wrote to the Attorney General claiming there was this international gang of blackmailers trying to blackmail senior officials of the government.
“How come the Attorney General responded to allegations by a faceless body? That means the Attorney General himself did not ascertain the veracity of any organisation.”
Dissatisfied with Interpol’s submission, the Committee accused the AGF of interfering with the House’s investigation.
The Committee was concerned about the whistleblower’s safety and insisted that the Ministry of Justice make direct requests to Interpol rather than going through the police, as Interpol is only required by law to respond to requests made by local law enforcement agencies.
