By Ogunronbi Wareez Ayomide (IT Student Joint Professional Training and Support)
A group of 20 constitutional lawyers has appealed to the panel led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (Downstream) and Hon. Henry Okojie (Midstream) to ensure a thorough probe of the OVH acquisition and related scandals.
Constitutional activist Comrade Tijani Usman and his colleagues urged the Joint Committee to expand its investigation beyond the issues raised in the motion to address larger concerns.
The House of Representatives’ decision to conduct a forensic investigation into various anomalies is commendable. These include the role of middlemen in trading, indiscriminate licensing, the lack of laboratories to detect adulterated products, the influx of substandard products, and the non-domestication of crude marketing sales profits.
Notably, the forensic investigation will also cover the importation of subpar products and high-sulfur diesel into Nigeria, the sale of petroleum products at below-market prices, the effects on downstream and local refineries, and the funding sources for such activities. A report is due to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
However, this investigation would be a waste of time if those in office are allowed to remain there during its course.
We implore the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream) to recommend the suspension of NNPCL officials to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This measure is necessary to prevent them from using their significant influence to undermine this crucial inquiry.
