Senate gives Seplat, three oil firms 48 hours to answer NEITI queries

Nigeria's Senate Public Accounts Committee has issued a stern 48-hour ultimatum to Seplat Energy and three other oil companies, demanding their appearance to address queries from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). The companies, including Network E&P Nigeria Limited, All Grace Energy Limited, and Aradel Energy Limited, are being investigated for their roles in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 audit reports concerning Nigeria's extractive sector.

Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, chair of the committee, expressed significant concern over the companies' repeated failure to attend previous invitations. The situation escalated when Senator Abdul Ningi described a letter from Network E&P Nigeria Limited, which stated accountability to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission rather than the Senate panel, as "disturbing and provocative." Ningi emphasized the National Assembly's constitutional mandate to summon entities for explanations on matters under investigation.

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Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution empower the National Assembly to invite anybody or agency for explanations on issues raised against them.

Senator Shehu Kaka Lawan supported the call for sanctions, urging the committee to exercise its constitutional powers. Consequently, the committee chairman directed the Managing Director of Network E&P Nigeria Limited to appear within 48 hours, warning that failure to do so would result in the "full invocation of legislative powers against him." Similar ultimatums were issued to the managing directors of the other three companies.

Meanwhile, Dubri Oil Company Limited appeared before the committee to contest a $3.025 million debt for royalty and gas flaring attributed to it in the NEITI report. The company's appearance and defense of the charges mark a separate but related development in the committee's broader examination of financial obligations within Nigeria's oil and gas industry.

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Having failed to honour invitation of this committee two consecutive times, the Managing Director of Network E&P Nigeria Limited should appear before us unfailingly on Thursday this week or risk full invocation of legislative powers against him.