Why Adeosun, Kachikwu, others shunned Reps fuel subsidy panel

Indications emerged at the weekend as to why Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and her counterparts in the ministries of Petroleum Resources and Budget & National Planning jettisoned the probe panel set up by the House of Representatives to investigate the secret payment of fuel subsidy.

The Nation investigation revealed that Adeosun along with Ibe Kachikwu and Udoma Udo Udoma was to appear before the members of Committees on Finance and Petroleum Resources last Thursday. However, on the day of the sitting, the absence of key stakeholders critical to the investigation at the hearing drew the anger of the members of Joint Committees on Finance and Petroleum Resources (Downstream), who felt slighted by the executive arm of government.

Checks by our correspondent revealed that the personages failed to appear before the probe panel because they were outside the country on official assignment.

Confirming this development, Ibrahim Babangida, who is the Chairman Finance Committee and lead chairman of the joint panel however calmed frayed nerves when he revealed that letters were received from the Ministers stating the reasons for their absence.

“The Minister said he is currently outside the country. He directed NNPC GMD and DPR to respond to the committee’s requests. We received a letter from NNPC. The GMD is requesting that we give him another date convenience to us for him to appear.

“As for Finance Minister, she said she is unable to make it to the hearing as she is currently leading the Nigerian delegation at IMF from where she will represent the country in Paris.”

But the joint committee could not hide its disappointment over the non appearance of other key stakeholders including the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Kachalla Baru; Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mordecai Ladan; the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Abdulkadir Umar Saidu who were mandated to attend the hearing on behalf of the minister also failed to attend the investigative hearing.

While describing the development as a sad moment in a democratic process, the lawmakers pointed out that the consequence of such action is severe.

The meeting was subsequently called off with assurance by Babangida that a new date will be fixed and communicated to the relevant stakeholders.

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