Posted by From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja on
Senate has begun investigations into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpo-ration's (NNPC) alleged award of a $2.2 billion Escravos Gas to Liquid (GTL) Project to Halliburton Services Inc without due process.
Senate has begun investigations into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpo-ration's (NNPC) alleged award of a $2.2 billion Escravos Gas to Liquid (GTL) Project to Halliburton Services Inc without due process.
The Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstr-eam) chairman, Senator Lee Maeba (PDP, Rivers State) whose committee is investigating the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract, has also asked the corporation's Group Managing Director, Engr. Funsho Kupolokun, to explain the total usage of the 450, 000 barrels of oil which NNPC collects daily from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for local consumption.
According to the letter requesting Chevron/Texaco to furnish the Senate Committee with information on the GTL Project, the committee sought to know the 'evidence of due process leading to the award of the contract; copy of the contract awarded to Halliburton Services Inc. including commercial value of project; technical/commercial evaluation report of all bids received; the details of final investment decision (FID) reached with NNPC;" and, 'any other information to prove transparency of the process."
There were however indications that the former NNPC GMD, Andrew Gaius-Obaseki had during his tenure resisted pressure by joint partners to award the job at the cost of $1.7bn.
In demanding explanations from Kupolokun over the 450,000 barrels of crude oil received daily from the DPR for local consumption, the Senate Committee asked the corporation's boss to provide the 'record showing daily allocation to refineries since assuming office; record showing sales of excess not consumed locally; record showing proofs of sales including deposits and disbursements of part/whole allocations on daily basis; details of bank accounts where lodgments are made of the proceeds from sales of excess crude not refined; and, any other details to prove transparency in the use of this allocation."