Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), and Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (MMDPRA), chose not to participate in a probe investigating irregularities and alleged corruption within the NNPCL.
The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee, led by Honorable Abubakar Nalaraba, initiated this probe, with the additional aim of scrutinizing the details surrounding the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing by NNPCL.
At the commencement of the hearing on Monday, both organizations sent representatives in lieu of their Chief Executives. The NNPCL was represented by its Executive Vice President (Downstream), Yemi Adetunji, while the NMDPRA was represented by Soji Soloye.
They explained that their respective Chief Executives couldn’t attend the hearing due to prior commitments elsewhere.
Chairman Nalaraba inquired whether these representatives could adequately represent their principals during the probe, to which they responded negatively.
Nalaraba expressed disappointment, noting that the committee was significantly behind schedule in fulfilling its mandate. He reminded everyone that the House had established the Ad hoc committee to investigate the OVH Energy acquisition by NNPCL and instructed it to deliver a report within four weeks.