NNPCL: Trouble for Mele Kyari, others as Senate vows to probe N12tr turnaround maintenance

The Senate threatened on Wednesday to recommend the dismissal and possible imprisonment of Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and heads of government agencies in the oil sector over the Turnaround Maintenance, which has cost N12 trillion with no tangible results.

The upper chamber expressly threatened to fire leaders of agencies directly involved in Nigerian refinery Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) projects.

It also showed that it has records of over $592 million, €4.8 million, and £3.4 million spent on the TAM from 2010 to present, despite the fact that none of the refineries have refined a drop of oil.

During an interactive session with NNPCL management and other oil sector executives, the Senate Ad-hoc Committee probing the different Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of Nigerian Refineries issued the threat.

The following agencies were invited but did not send representatives: Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and their subsidiaries.

Senator Isa Jibrin (Kogi East), Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, stated that much has been said about the turnaround, and much has been spent on operational supplies for the refineries, with no results.

He said,

“We will ask for refund and dismissal of all the chief executives involved in the Turn Around Maintenance.”

Senator Jibrin said that for weeks, they have been asking for documents, which have not been given by the oil companies, a development that created suspicions.

Jibrin said,

“We sent them an 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 that between 2010 and 2020, the sum of N4.8 trillion was said to have been spent as operational expenses. How do you incur 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 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.

Also speaking, at the event, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, said representatives of the NNPCL and management of other agencies, who sent representatives should be told in clear terms that their action was unacceptable, noting that representatives were not in a position to answer queries the Senate was demanding answers to.

A member of the panel, Senator Sumaila Kawu who could not hide his displeasure said, “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 entrusted you. So, we must agree on how to operate.

“We will suspend this interaction until you are ready. We have 100 ways which we can achieve our legislative work. We just wanted to give you fair hearing and you must respect the constitution.”

On his part, Senator Danjuma Goje, who asked the representatives whether they are the heads of the agencies, added that they deal with heads or Chief Executives and not people who have been sent.

He said,

“We will have to agree on a new date for the submission of the documents both hard copies and soft copies, and a date for a meeting where the Chief Executive must appear.”

They were, however, given till Tuesday next week to submit the documents before the meeting with the Chief Executive.

(Credit: Vanguard)