The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the managing director and senior management staff of the Nigeria AGIP Oil Company (NAOC) following a petition alleging the diversion of $72 million.
The petition was raised by De Coon Service Limited, a service company, against AGIP and several prominent figures, including the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kyari; Ali Zara; Ismailia Mohammed; and former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote.
De Coon Service Limited accused AGIP and the individuals named of fraudulently withholding and diverting over $72 million owed to the company.
In response, the House Committee on Public Petitions has initiated an inquiry into the matter, demanding the appearance of the involved parties.
According to a summons issued on June 10, 2024, and signed by the committee chairman, the parties must appear before the committee on June 20, 2024, with a soft copy and ten hard copies of their briefs.
The letter emphasized the necessity for compliance under Sections 88 and 89(C) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Specifically, the summons include the NAOC Managing Director, Division Manager (Strategic Procurement), four senior managers, two retired staff of NAOC, the Group CEO of NNPC, six other NNPC officials, and two retired staff.
Additionally, the Group CEO of OANDO Limited and a senior management staff, the Chief Executive of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Managing Director of TOTAL E&P, the former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, and the Permanent Secretary of the Petroleum Ministry have been summoned.
The petition, dated April 24, 2024, from the Executive Director of CSJET, Joshua Abah, outlined the alleged diversion of $72 million by NAOC and NNPC officials.
De Coon Services Limited claimed that despite fulfilling a maintenance contract with NAOC from 2010 to 2018, the company was owed over $22 million, which NAOC failed to pay despite receiving corresponding cash calls from NNPC.
Additionally, De Coon Services alleged manipulation of tender processes and ongoing financial irregularities.
In light of the allegations, De Coon Services urged federal lawmakers to implement recommendations from NNPC’s GRC, NAPIMS, and NCDMB reports and to ensure NAOC pays all outstanding debts.
They also suggested that the debts could be paid in instalments as agreed by all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has unveiled plans to slash the country’s annual petrol import cost by up to $4.4 billion through the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel.
Engr. Zayyan Tambari, the coordinator of Regulations, Compliance, and Facilitation at the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, revealed this during a Co-creation Session on the Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System held in Abuja recently.
He said the government aims to convert approximately one million vehicles to CNG, which requires an estimated investment of $890 million to establish the infrastructure for the alternative fuel.
