Reps Committee summons Finance, Petroleum Ministers, others over state of refineries

By ERICJAMES OCHIGBO

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating the state of refineries in the county, has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to appear before the committee on Thursday, March 31.

The committee also summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) among other government officials.

The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Johnson Ganiyu (APC-Lagos), gave the ruling on Thursday at an investigative hearing in Abuja.

He said the summons became necessary following the failure of the ministers and the other invited government officials to honour earlier invitation.

The lawmaker said that the committee was giving the officials another opportunity to willingly appear and give account of their stewardship of the nation’s refineries.

Other top government officials expected to appear include the Accountant General of the Federation, Auditor General of the Federation and the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority are expected to appear.

The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), the Managing Director, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) and the Managing Director, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) are to cause appearance too.

Other are, the Statistician General, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative among others. (NAN)