The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources
(Upstream) Senator Tayo Alasoadura, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to
immediately suspend the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe
Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru.
Alasoadura specifically stated that Baru’s continued
presence at the NNPC could jeopardise the Senate investigation into the
allegations that he allegedly approved contracts to the tune of $25bn without
the approval of the corporation’s board.
The senator said this during a live programme on Channels
Television titled, Sunday Politics.
When asked if they should be suspended, Alasoadura said, “I
believe so; especially the man who is doing the day-to-day running of the
organisation. In order not to hinder or hamper that investigation, because
records will be needed and even from the date of the leakage of that letter, I
think action should have been taken to ensure that nothing will be missing when
investigations start
“So, I think the two of them should be asked to step aside
and when investigation is over, whoever is culpable will go and whoever is not
culpable, will continue with his duties.”
The lawmaker, who represents Ondo Central Senatorial
District, said one of the causes of the problem was the fact that Buhari
doubled as the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Describing the arrangement as faulty, Alasoadura said Buhari
should step down and appoint a substantive minister who would be able to do the
job more effectively.
He added, “Judging from the many problems plaguing our
country today, I believe Mr. President should devote more time to other things
and let an independent person run the petroleum resources ministry who will
then report to him twice or once a week.’’
Alasoadura confirmed in a report by Sunday PUNCH that 40
firms, which received the $25bn contracts would be invited by the Senate.
He added, “We are probing them because we want to get to the
root of this matter. If you are doing an investigation, even those who have not
been mentioned may have to be invited, but as of today, these are the people
that we think should be invited and from there, we may need to invite many more
organisations as the probe continues.”
Meanwhile, The PUNCH learnt that the firms to be invited by
the Senate include Oando, Sahara Energy, MRS Oil and Gas, AA Rano, Bono,
Masters Energy, Eterna Oil and Gas, Cassiva Energy, Hyde Energy, Brittania U,
North West Petroleum, Optima Energy, AMG Petroenergy, Arkiren Oil and Gas
Limited and Shoreline Limited.
Others are Entourage Oil, Setana Energy and Prudent Energy,
Trafigura, Enoc Trading, BP Trading, Total Trading, UCL Petro Energy, Mocho,
Tevier Petroleum, Heritage Oil, Levene Energy, Litasco Supply and Trading,
Glencore, Hindustan Refinery, Varo Energy, Sonara Refinery, Bharat Petroleum
and Cepsa.
The companies are listed on the NNPC website as benefiting
from crude term contracts.
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