The House of Representatives on Thursday invited the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu to appear before it on Monday, April 7.
The
House ad hoc Committee on the Review of Petroleum Pump Price, which
issued the summons, said the two were to explain issues over alleged
diversion of foreign exchange by some oil marketers between 2016 and
2017.
Also invited are Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ete Ibas,
Chief Executive Officers of Keystone Bank and Zenith Bank, which were
involved in the allocation of foreign exchange to oil marketers.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Nnanna Igbokwe,
urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to determine
the whereabouts of Mr Andrew Alagu, the Managing Director of HAR
Petroleum Resources Ltd, by March 27.
“The
invitation is to determine the involvement of the company in alleged
diversion of 26 million dollars for importation of Premium Motor Spirit
(PMS) under the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) arrangement of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),’’ Igbokwe said.
He
said that the committee disregarded a letter from HAR Petroleum
Resources Ltd absolving itself from engaging in importing the product
and could not have sourced for and accessed foreign exchange from CBN.
According
to the Igbokwe, documents provided by Crude Oil Marketing Department of
the NNPC confirm the company’s participation in the business.
“We
have it on good authority that in 2014, your company applied and got
over 11 million dollars, and in 2015, it got another forex of over 14
million dollars from Zenith Bank for the importation of petroleum
products into this country.
“And you now deny ever engaging in product importation or any of such transactions with the NNPC retail outfits.
“Where did the 26 million dollars you took in forex from the bank according to CBN records go to?” Igbokwe asked the company representative, Mr Jefferson Ogunma.
Meanwhile,
Ogunma said Alagu was away on official assignment outside the country
and added that the company only handled logistical activities on behalf
of Total Nigeria plc.
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