House Committee on Public Petitions has threatened to see nvoke relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) against management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Prices Product Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Uzoma Nkem-Aboonta (PDP-Abia) issued the threat notice during a media chat with Legislative Correspondents in Abuja, frowned at the inordinate attitude of all the affected public office holders to national issues before the Committee.
Abonta who expressed displeasure over the series of petitions against the regulatory agencies in the oil and gas industry, said: “those deeply involved are the NNPC, PPPRA and DPR and this attitude has led to many inconclusive investigative hearings.
“And their non-appearance has made the House resolve to seek other lawful means to bring them before the public petitions committee, because nobody is above the law, not even the Parliament and a creation of Parliament cannot also be above the law.
Abonta added that most problem the committee is faced with is that apart from the EFCC, most agencies like the NNPC, DPR accused of corrupt practices have deliberately refused to answer to the summons issued to them to give their own side of the story.
“We are bothered and worried, but we are not surprised at the leaked letter of the minister of state for petroleum resources to the president on the NNPC boss, some of these things are subjects of petitions which the NNPC have refused to come to answer to.
“Their absences inhibits our work, it delays our work and makes it inconclusive. Otherwise we will have to conclude with that of the petitions alone and that is not good as it is against natural justice, so that is why we will use the mechanism of the law to bring them,” the Abia lawmaker said.
“Honestly we are not having any issues or witch hunting neither are we trying to prosecute or frustrate the operations of the EFCC. In fact, we want to do everything to encourage them to continue the war against corruption.
“What we are trying to do is to call them, cause there are petitions before the House and referred to the committee on public petitions to make fact-findings but severally we have invited the EFCC to come and tell us their own side of the story.
“We have sent them more than seven invitations on various issues but they have deliberately failed to turn up for such invitation.
“We have acknowledgement copies of all our letters and summons to them to come and give us their own side of the story so we can draw a line and advice the House accordingly.
“The non-appearance of the EFCC is inhibiting our investigation in the allegations of high handedness and harassment, we can’t stop them from doing their work but we must ensure that in doing their work, they comply with the rules of engagement and laid down procedures.
Recall that the EFCC just last week failed to appear before the committee to explain the role it played when security operatives invaded property of the former First Lady Dame Patience Johnathan.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
