NNPCL's Consistent No-Show at Senate Probe Sparks Outrage

Senator Allwell Onyesoh, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, has expressed disappointment over the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited's repeated failure to attend a Senate probe on crude oil theft. Onyesoh, who represents Rivers East, stated that the company's absence undermines the transparency and effectiveness of legislative oversight. He emphasized that the committee is merely performing its constitutional duty by seeking information and explanations from the state-owned oil company. 'We are not asking for favors; we are simply seeking facts and records to study,' Onyesoh explained. The senator rejected the company's excuse that its officials were unavailable due to foreign engagements, saying, '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?' Onyesoh argued that the company's continued refusal to appear before the Senate deepens public suspicion about its willingness to submit to parliamentary scrutiny. He also lamented the underdevelopment of oil-producing communities, citing the example of Umuechem in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, which has lacked basic infrastructure despite being one of Nigeria's earliest oil-producing communities. The senator called on the Petroleum Technology Development Fund to publish records of its scholarship and capacity development programmes, particularly the number of indigenes of Rivers State and other oil-producing communities who have benefited from them. The committee also considered proposed amendments to Nigeria's petroleum laws to strengthen the sector, curb crude oil theft, and improve regulatory efficiency.