Just In : Kyari To Be ‘Sacked And Sent To Jail’ (SEE WHY)
The Senate issued a stern warning on Wednesday, threatening to dismiss and imprison Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), along with other top executives of petroleum subsidiaries.
The specific threat targeted executive officers whose agencies were involved in the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of refineries.
The Senate highlighted that, from 2010 to the present, over N12 trillion had been expended on TAM. Records indicated that over $592 million, €4.8 million, and £3.4 million were spent between 2010 and now on TAM, with none of the refineries operating.
Senator Isah Jibrin, the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of Refineries, issued the threats due to the non-appearance of Kyari and other chief executive officers of subsidiaries at an interactive session with the panel.
Several agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), were invited, but their chief executive officers failed to attend the session, sending representatives instead.
Senator Jibrin, representing APC – Kogi East, expressed concern about the significant spending on operational materials for non-functional refineries. He emphasized that the Senate aimed to address the numerous leakages and find solutions to the ongoing issues with the TAM of refineries.
“We will ask for refund and dismissal of all the chief executives involved in the Turn Around Maintenance,” he declared.
Jibrin said that for weeks, they have been asking for documents, which have not been given by the oil companies, a development that created suspicion.
“We sent them invitation more than two weeks ago requesting for documents and the documents have not been released after two weeks. So, we want the chief executives to be present.
“More worrisome is between 2010 and 2020, the sum of N4.8 trillion was said to have been spent as operational expenses.
“How do you incurr operational expenses that have to do with purchase of raw materials and similar expenses on factories that are moribund? How do we come about operational expenses? We need to know.
“These are issues that Nigerians want to know; they want solutions to all these leakages. We know they are leakages. Whether you accept it or not they are leakages and they are all forms of compromise within your various establishments.
“We know and we will not hesitate to escalate it to the highest possible level, including possibility of refund and outright dismissal of some of the heads of some of these agencies and possibly go to jail,” he said.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi said that NNPCL and management of other agencies, who came to represent their bosses, should be sent back to tell their Chief Executives that they should appear in person rather than send representatives.
Senator Sumaila Kawu said that they know the modus operandi of the Civil Service, adding, “We are not in the Senate for personal functions. We are representing the entire legislators. You in the civil service, we know how you are operating.
“We are in a very serious business. At the end, you will be at the receiving end. Nigerians are not satisfied with what you are doing and you will be at the receiving end.
“We are independent. We can go to any length to defend our people. It is the constitution that established you. So, we must agree how to operate.
“We will suspend this interaction until when you are ready. We have 100 ways through which we can achieve our legislative work. We just wanted to give you fair hearing and you must respect the constitution.”
Senator Danjuma Goje, who asked them whether they are the heads of the agencies, added that the panel will only deal with heads or Chief Executives and not people who have been sent.
“We will have to agree on new dates for the submission of the documents both hard copies and soft copies and a date for meeting where the Chief Executive must appear,” he said.
They were, however, given till Tuesday to submit the documents before the meeting with the Chief Executive.
