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Senate Summons NNPC Boss Over Contract
Fresh troubles appear to be looming for the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, as the Senate has begun a probe into alleged revocation of OML 13 and re-award to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, a subsidiary of NNPC, through executive fiat.
The Senate is also summoning Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Osagie Okunbor over its involvement in the revocation of the OML 13 and its re-award without going the statutory licensing bid rounds.
According to the Senate, it has become imperative to carry out a holistic investigation into the revocation as Nigeria cannot afford another Malabu OPL 245 scandal as the country struggles to navigate away from recession.
Speaking, yesterday, in Abuja during a sitting by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on a petition by National Coordinator, Global Peace and Sustainability Network, Chief Longers Anyanwu, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East), warned that the Senate would issue a warrant of arrest on the managing director of SPDC, if he failed to appear.
He said the warrant of arrest would come against the backdrop of the SPDC chief executive’s failure to honour three previous summons, warning that the Senate would do everything possible to block all the conduit pipes being used to siphon the nation’s resources.
Anyanwu said though there was nothing wrong in inviting foreign investors; the action must not kill or swallow indigenous companies.
Earlier in his presentation, National Coordinator of Global Peace and Sustainability Network, Chief Longers Anyanwu, had explained that OML 13 was an onshore oil block on the Eastern Niger Delta and had an acreage of 1,923Sq.m.
He also said OML 13 played hosts to Utapate South and Ibibio fields as well as a string of producing marginal fields, including Frontier oil- operated Uquo, a gas accumulation and the 2,000BOPD Qua Iboe.
According to him, the OML 13 has a total number of 39 oil wells, with a production capacity of about 33,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, adding that it was made up of Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 2001, 2002 abs 2003.
He said: “The said OML 13 was sometime between February and March, 2016, revoked and awardee to NPDC, a subsidiary abs the production arm of the NNPC, through executive fiat and without going through the statutory Licensing Bids Rounds.”
Curiously, this OML 13 which was awarded to the NPDC through an executive fiat has been re-awarded to Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), without this offer going through an open tender abs the advertisement of a Licensing Bids Round by the relevant authorities.
“It is evident that this transaction is shrouded in mystery and under the table circumstances. Hence, it is the intention of this Petition to compel the Senate to use its position to cause a full scale inquiry into this ambiguous transaction.
“From our investigation, we are able to establish that NPDC and SEEPCO could not produce evidence of fair play, either in the award of OML 13 or, in the unlikely circumstance.
‘’In the award of a contract of Farm Out Farm In by the NPDC to SEEPCO as stipulated by the extant Nigerian laws regulating operations in the oil and gas industry and the Public Procurement Act which regulates the activities of agencies defined in the Act as procuring agents.”
Anyanwu, who called for outright cancellation and a reversal of the entire process, said further: “It was shrouded in fraudulent and corrupt processes and never complied with the laid-down procedure contained in the extant Laws, Regulations and Guidelines established for operations in the oil and gas industry.
“Global Peace and Sustainability Network, an organization that is committed to transparency and accountability in all spheres of national life is not comfortable with the circumstances surrounding the divestment and reallocation/Farm Out of OML 13 to SEEPCO in the interest of national progress and economic development, and to foster a sense of accountability in the psyche of Nigerians as a people.
‘’We, therefore, make the following demands: ‘’Thorough investigation of the OML 13 transaction from the point when SPDC was divested of its interest in the Lease to the present, particularly, the period following the award of the Lease to NPDC and its subsequent assignment or Farm Out (whichever is applicable) to SEEPCO.
“That all the participants in this shoddy deal be identified, investigated, prosecuted and severely punished according to the law as their conduct, actions and inactions amount to economic sabotage on the government and people of Nigeria.
“Nigerians demand to see that compliance with due advertisement is made for the Farm Out of OML 13. Particularly, Nigerians would want to see transparent evidence of the process which shall include submission of application by interested companies; payment of the required application, processing and other fees into the stipulated accounts of the Federal Government of Nigeria; pre qualification of interested companies; detailed evidence of announcement of the pre-qualified companies and evidence of detailed technical and commercial bids by pre-qualified companies; evaluation and announcements of winning bids.”
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.