NNPCL dares Senate, fails to honour invitation for second day

By Haruna Salami

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) is on a collision course with the Senate for failing to honour parliamentary invitation for two consecutive days.

The invitation was for interactive session with revenue generating agencies as prelude to 2023 budget.

The 3-day interactive session on 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) had the Minister of Finance, Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) , Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs and Excise and heads of all other revenue generating agencies of the federal government on the first day (Tuesday) had NNPCL conspicuously absent.

However, on the second day (Wednesday), NNPCL Group Managing Director, GMD, Melee Kyari was represented by Garba-Deen Muhammad, Corporate Group Manager (GPAD), but this did not impressed the Senate Committee on Finance, which organised the interactive session.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola did not hide his feeling as he expressed strong concern over the failure of the GMD to appear given the “worrisome figures given by the Minister of Finance yesterday over inability to meet oil production target, crude oil theft, etc”.

Senator Adeola recalled how the NNPCL liaison officer in the National Assembly said the day before that NNPC is now a limited liability company and therefore would no longer be answerable to parliament.

This angered the committee as Senator Okamilrkan said the current status of the company does not mean they can no longer be called for questioning.

“You are 100% owned by the federal government, until a major investor comes. Until, you are accountable to the federal government. We demand that the GMD, NNPC appear before the National Assembly the next day, “he said.

The attempt by GMD’s representative, Garba-Deen Muhammad to explain that the GMD would be on official trip to Morocco on Thursday (today)and would not be available infuriated the committee as Olamilekan then directed that the GMD must appear by 5 pm today (Wednesday), a period of two hours.

Garba-Deen left the venue at the National Assembly with this message for his boss, but the GMD didn’t show up till the committee adjourned some minutes before 5 pm.

Also yesterday, the Senate Committee on Finance, supported rationalisation of government agencies as contained in the Oronsaye Report.

Committee Chairman, Senator Solomon Olamilekan said this will help to boost revenue generation by the federal government and block excess spending on overheads.

The chairman said, ” there is no way , with the current economic situation that we will not implement Oronsaye report , it is part of the report that some staff will stay while others have to go because government can no longer continue to fund agencies that are liabilities and government cannot continue to be a father Christmas “.

Senator Olamilekan however disclosed that any government agency that generates enough revenue toward national development would not be affected by the rationalisation.

He also disclosed that MDAs risks zero budget allocation in 2023 budget over the non-appearance of their Chief Executives at Senate interactive session to give their inputs on the 2023-2025 MTEF-FSP.

The interactive session continues today (Thursday).