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From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate yesterday, constituted an ad -hoc committee to probe N11.35 trillion spent on turnaround maintenance ( TAM) of the country’s oil refineries between 2010 and 2022.
It specifically mandated the committee to summon the Group Managing Director ( GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited ( NNPCL) , the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission ( NUPRC) , Managing Director of Nigerian National Liquified Natural Gas (NNLG) etc.
According to the Senate, for a holistic investigation, the ad – hoc committee to be chaired by Jibrin Isah from Kogi East, was also mandated to investigate all contracts awarded for the rehabilitation of all four refineries in Port Hacourt , Warri and Kaduna from 2010 to 2023.
The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of prayers sought to that effect by Sunday Karimi from Kogi West in a motion sponsored on the need for the investigation of the various turnaround maintenance carried out on the refineries by successive governments during the stated period.
Karimi, in his motion, expressed concerns that the state-owned refineries in Nigeria have been a serious drain pipe of public finance, depriving the citizens of the joy of being an oil producing nation.
He said between 2010 to date, Nigeria is estimated to have spent N11.35 trillion, excluding other cost in other currencies which include $592, 976, 050.00 dollar, 4, 877, 068.47 Euros and 3, 455, 656.93 Pounds, on renovation of refineries, yet they are unproductive.
He said despite the moribund state of the four refineries, their operating costs between 2010 and 2020 is estimated at N4.8 trillion.
The refineries are estimated to make cumulative loss of N1.64 Trillion, within 4years, he added.
The lawmaker expressed worry that if a thorough investigation of the past and current rehabilitation projects is not undertaken by the Senate, the circle of awarding unproductive turn around maintenance contracts may not abate, thereby retaining the status quo where rehabilitation contracts have become conduit pipes for siphoning pubic funds.
Senators, in their various contributions, said the country could not continue to spend money on an unproductive venture and urged the relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for the state of the refineries are sanctioned.
In his remarks , the Deputy Senate President said had the refineries worked, the country would not be experiencing the current economic hardship.
“So, it is therefore very important that a thorough investigation should be done to make sure that everything that we need to know is brought open to us. Who are those who are sabotaging the efforts of government? Anybody who has a hand, sabotaging the efforts of the government to bring these refineries into operation and those who have taken money that is meant to turn around these refineries must be brought to book. We must know them and decisive actions must be taken,” he said.
Nigeria’s four refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt had become moribund for years despite the series of repairs executed under various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) contracts that had gulped huge amounts of monies in Naira and foreign currencies .
