The Senate specifically
threatened to sack the executive officers whose agencies were involved the Turn
Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of Nigerian refineries.
The Senate noted that from 2010
till date, over N12 trillion has been spent on TAM. The Senate also said that
it has records of over $592 million, €4.8 million and £3.4 million spent
between 2010 till date on TAM, yet none of the refineries is working.
The Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc
Committee investigating the various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of
Nigerian Refineries, Senator Isah Jibrin, made the threats following the
failure of Kyari and other chief executive officers of its subsidiaries to
attend an interactive session organized by the panel.
Some of the agencies invited
whose chief executive officers failed to turn up at the session but sent
representatives include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited
(NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority
(NMDPRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and others.
Senator Jibrin (APC - Kogi East),
noted that so much has been heard on the TAM of refineries and so much have
been spent on operational materials on the refineries that are not working.
He said the Senate want to find
solutions to all the leakages, as there are a lot of them.
“We will ask for refund and
dismissal of all the chief executives involved in the Turn Around Maintenance,”
he declared.
Senator Jibrin said that for
weeks, they have been asking for documents, which have not been given by the
oil companies, a development that created suspicion.
"We sent them invitation
more than two weeks ago requesting for documents and the documents have not
been released after two weeks. So, we want the chief executives to be present.
"More worrisome is between
2010 and 2020, the sum of N4.8 trillion was said to have been spent as
operational expenses.
“How do you incure operational
expenses that have to do with purchase of raw materials and similar expenses on
factories that are moribund? How do we come about operational expenses? We need
to know.
"These are issues that
Nigerians want to know; they want solutions to all these leakages. We know they
are leakages. Whether you accept it or not they are leakages and they are all
forms of compromise within your various establishments.
"We know and we will not hesitate
to escalate it to the highest possible level, including possibility of refund
and outright dismissal of some of the heads of some of these agencies and
possibly go to jail," he said.
Also speaking, Senator Yahaya
Abdullahi said that NNPCL and management of other agencies, who came to
represent their bosses, should be sent back to tell their Chief Executives that
they should appear in person rather than send representatives.
Senator Sumaila Kawu said that
they know the modus operadi of the civil service, adding, "We are not in
the Senate for personal functions. We are representing the entire legislators.
You in the civil service, we know how you are operating.
"We are in a very serious
business. At the end, you will be at the receiving end. Nigerians are not
satisfied with what you are doing and you will be at the receiving end.
"We are independent. We can
go to any length to defend our people. It is the constitution that established
you. So, we must agree how to operate.
"We will suspend this interaction
until when you are ready. We have 100 ways through which we can achieve our
legislative work. We just wanted to give you fair hearing and you must respect
the constitution."
Senator Danjuma Goje, who asked
them whether they are the heads of the agencies, added that the panel will only
deal with heads or Chief Executives and not people who have been sent.
"We will have to agree on
new dates for the submission of the documents both hard copies and soft copies
and a date for meeting where the Chief Executive must appear," he said.
They were, however, given till
Tuesday to submit the documents before the meeting with the Chief Executive.
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