By Our Reporter
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, has condemned the repeated failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to honour invitations from the National Assembly, describing the development as an affront to the Senate’s constitutional oversight powers.
Speaking with journalists after a meeting of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) on Friday, the Rivers East lawmaker said the persistent absence of the company’s top management undermines transparency, weakens legislative oversight and erodes public confidence in the nation’s petroleum sector.
According to the statement signed by Peter Oriri, the Special Adviser to the Senator (Publicity & Communications), Onyesoh made the remarks shortly after staging a walkout from the committee’s meeting in protest against what he described as the recurring refusal of the NNPCL leadership to appear before lawmakers.
The committee is currently investigating crude oil theft and considering amendments to Nigeria’s petroleum laws to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing the oil and gas industry.
“We are not contractors. We are simply asking questions. Give us facts. Give us records. We want to study them. That is our constitutional responsibility,” the senator said.
He maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional duty to scrutinise the activities of government agencies, particularly the NNPCL, which manages Nigeria’s most strategic national asset.
The lawmaker dismissed the corporation’s repeated explanation that its officials were on official foreign trips whenever invited by the Senate, describing the excuse as unacceptable.
“They keep writing letters saying they are travelling to Congo, travelling here and there, just to dodge simple things. Was the GCEO appointed to keep travelling or to work? Is Nigeria’s problem outside the country or here in Nigeria? How is it possible that the GCEO, his deputy, directors and the entire management are all travelling at the same time? That is not acceptable,” he said.
According to Onyesoh, the continuous failure of the NNPCL leadership to appear before the Senate only fuels public suspicion that the corporation is unwilling to submit itself to parliamentary scrutiny.
He stressed that no public institution is above legislative oversight, insisting that all government agencies established by law remain accountable to the National Assembly.
The senator also rejected suggestions that the NNPCL answers only to the Presidency, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has consistently demonstrated respect for the National Assembly and would not encourage any agency to disregard parliamentary invitations.
“I know Mr. President. That is not the President I know. He will not tell any agency to ignore the National Assembly. We all work with Mr. President. Whenever issues arise, he engages the legislature with respect,” he said.
Onyesoh disclosed that he would formally engage the leadership of the Senate over what he described as the corporation’s habitual disregard for legislative invitations in a bid to strengthen parliamentary oversight and institutional accountability.
The senator also drew attention to the plight of oil-producing communities, particularly in Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta, lamenting that despite decades of oil exploration, many host communities remain underdeveloped and deprived of basic infrastructure, employment opportunities and meaningful participation in the petroleum industry.
Recalling the history of Umuechem community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, he said oil-bearing communities have continued to bear the environmental and economic consequences of petroleum exploration without commensurate benefits.
He further called on the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to publish records of beneficiaries of its scholarship and capacity-building programmes, questioning how many indigenes of Rivers State and other oil-producing communities have benefited from the intervention.
Onyesoh reaffirmed his commitment to demanding accountability, transparency and equitable treatment for oil-producing communities, insisting that the wealth derived from their resources must translate into tangible development and opportunities for the people.
The committee also deliberated on proposed amendments to Nigeria’s petroleum laws, particularly outdated provisions on penalties and regulatory enforcement, as part of broader reforms aimed at curbing crude oil theft, improving regulatory efficiency and boosting crude oil production.
