An Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating the alleged loss of over $2.4 billion in revenue from illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil export in 2015 including crude oil exports from 2014 till date has frowned at the inability of Chief Executive Officers CEOs of International Oil Coys to submit requested documents to the committee
At resumption of a rescheduled 3-day investige hearing organized by the probe panel on Tuesday May 23,2023, the House Committee said that inability of the Chief Executive Officer of Total Exploration and Production Co TE&P Co Ltd to honour it’s invitation and submit requested documents on pre-shipment inspection of crude oil is an affront to it
Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee Hon Mark T.Gbillah said that the Chief Executive Officers CEOs of most of the international oil companies IOCs operating in Nigeria are very disrespectful to the laws in their host countries.
He had frowned at representation of the Managing Director of TE&P CO Ltd for failing to appear in person and rather sent in a representative of the company to the committee’s investigating hearing
He reminded the invited stakeholders that in all climes the parliament has powers to invite any person or authority and can order investigation into any matter for which it has powers to make laws.
He also cited the provisions of section 88 and 89 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 saying that it is the Chief Executive Officers of the IOCs and not their subordinates that are invited for the probe.
He said: “The Managing Director of Total E&P Nigeria Limited has brought a letter delegating the Executive Director to represent him. It is important that your company and other IOCs do honour the invitation of the parliament.
“In every clime where the parliament wants to engage with a company, it is the Chief executive officer”.
Meanwhile the committee had grilled other oil companies who allegedly were involved in the export of crude oil to foreign destinations and demand that these companies submit necessary documents such as pre-shipment inspection, bank accounts details and its statements
Some other invited entities at the the investigating hearing include the Oriental Energy Resources Ltd, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit NFIU and other oil firms among others.
