Reps to probe alleged illegal sale of $2.4bn Nigeria’s crude oil

By Femi Ogunshola

The House of Representatives said it will work with stakeholders to investigate the alleged loss of over 2.4 billion dollars in revenue due to illegal crude oil sales.

Rep. Mark Gbillah, the Chairman of the House ad hoc committee investigating the matter, said this at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the committee.

The lawmaker who assured whistleblowers of utmost confidentiality said the investigation was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive.

He said the committee had to be set up now, seven years after the incident, because it was brought to the fore in 2020 and the House needed background information for a thorough investigation and outcome.

Gbillah solicited the support of individuals and corporate organisations to enable the committee to achieve its mandate.

A member of the committee, Rep. Ganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos), said that as part of efforts to revive the various refineries in the country, the House Committee on the State of Refineries visited some of the refineries.

He gave assurances that the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries would start full operation by the first and last quarters of 2023.

“We want to assure all the whistleblowers who have revelations to provide to this honourable committee that their information will be treated in the strictest of confidence.”

“We can receive evidence behind closed doors before we make it public because we too are concerned about spurious and false allegations.”

“So we too want to determine and see the facts behind any such allegations before we bring them to public knowledge because we are a public body representing the Nigerian people,” he said.

NAN