Reps seek probe of alleged missing NNPC N11b fuel

The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate the alleged disappearance of N11 billion worth of petroleum products belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This followed the adoption of a motion by Yusuf Tajudeen (PDP, Kogi) calling on lawmakers to probe the circumstances that led to the disappearance of the products in February this year.

He said the missing 84 million litres of the value was last seen in a private tank farm storage in an unnamed location in Lagos, explaining that the owner of the tank farm had subsequently owned up to have lifted the products ‘without authorisation.’

Tajudeen said upon interrogation, the owner agreed to return the products or pay the monetary value within seven days, but has up till now failed to do so.

The House, therefore, mandated its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to look into the matter and report back in four weeks.

Besides, the House yesterday condemned Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for his recent claim that the confirmation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not need Senate nod.

In a motion by the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, the lawmakers described as weak the constitutional argument of the vice president, who cited Section 1 (71) of the Nigerian constitution to mean that the office of the EFCC is not among organs of government whose heads are legally required to be cleared by the upper legislative chamber.

According to the lawmakers, the vice president’s comments were against the principle of separation of powers, which requires that the Judiciary be allowed to interpret the law, not the Executive.

They, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to seek legal interpretation on the issue, while urging officials of government to refrain from making comments capable of connoting the usurpation of the powers of the Judiciary.

At a media chat with the vice president at his residence in Abuja, Osinbajo had said: “Section 1(71) of the Nigerian constitution could be cited as evidence that the government need not even have produced Mr. Magu to be cleared by the Senate at all.”