A member of the House of Representatives representing Isiala Mbano/Onuimo/Okigwe Federal Constituency of Imo State, Miriam Onuoha, has slammed former vice president Atiku Abubakar over his views on the happenings in the oil and gas sector warning that the sector is too critical to the economy to be politicised.
This is as she said NNPC Under Mele Kyari has made significant strides that deserve commendations.
The Imo lawmaker was responding to Atiku’s criticism of Oando acquisition of AGIP/ENI and OVH assets, which the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission or NUPRC affirmed followed extant laws as it concerns the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Ms Onuoha in a statement on Monday, lampooned Atiku for trying to take advantage of an investigation she chaired to unravel the acquisitions saying she will not allow herself to be used as an instrument of witch-hunt, blackmail and intimidation.
In clear terms, Onuoha explained that she sponsored a motion on the ‘Need to Investigate the Irregularities and Alleged Corruption in the Nigerian Energy Security Provider, NNPC Retail Limited and the Acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing’, which she said was in response to a petition by some staff members of NNPC Limited, who, according to her, were unsure of their employment status following the acquisition of OVH by NNPC Limited, and subsequent relocation of NNPC Retail Limited to Lagos.
She explained in the statement that, “I would like to state that the Committee invited the Group CEO of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, the Head of NNPC Retail Limited, and their management staff members, who appeared before the Committee where they gave reasons for the acquisition of OVH, as well as the procedures followed in the acquisition.
“They also rationalised the relocation to Lagos, which according to them, was to enable easy access to the market.
“From their submissions and the bills, it was obvious that members and management of NNPC Retail were constantly commuting to Abuja to engage in trade, which was not only expensive but was also resulting in loss of man-hour, among other challenges,” the lawmaker states.
She pointed out that, “Some staff members of NNPC Limited, who wrote and submitted the petition were also engaged by the Committee, and their fears were allayed on account of the detailed explanation by the NNPC management, and the Committee’s ability to ensure a transparent investigation.”
She added that, “In the course of the investigation, the Committee found that President Bola Tinubu had taken some commendable steps to reposition the oil and gas sector.
“The Committee also discovered that the NNPC Limited, under Mele Kyari, had made significant strides in enhancing transparency and accountability within the company.
“For instance, despite the criticisms it had received in recent times, the national oil company trumped the distractions by releasing its annual financial statement for 2023, wherein it posted a number of positive results. This demonstrates transparency,” Onuohah said.
She emphasised that, “Without a doubt, Kyari’s leadership has contributed to building a more transparent and accountable NNPC.
“His efforts,” she said, “have helped to restore public trust in the NNPC and to position the company as a more responsible corporate citizen. Even so, there is still room for improvement.”
She assured that, “While, as a legislator, I will continue to hold the Executive accountable, I will not allow myself to be used as an instrument of witch-hunt, blackmail, and intimidation.
“I will not be a willing tool for the opposition to destroy the good work of Mr. President, His Excellency Bola Tinubu, who is the Minister of Petroleum Resources,” the lawmaker added.
She stressed that, “The oil and gas sector is very critical to the Nigerian economy. It should not be politicised.
“While constructive criticism is necessary to strengthen the sector in the interest of our nation, deploying propaganda and blackmail to score cheap political points is unhelpful, and worse, unpatriotic,” she said.