THE National Assembly Joint Committee on Niger Delta Affairs on Tuesday summoned 17 oil companies over N72billion and $273million owed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
They are to appear before the committee on Wednesday.
The Committee chairman Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), gave the directive during a session with NDDC management, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank Plc representatives in Abuja.
The oil companies include Shebah Express Petroleum, Atlas Petroleum, Allied Energy, Frontier Oil, Seven Energy Limited, Belma Oil Producing Limited, AITECO Exploration and Production, Dubri Oil, Conoil Producing, Continental Oil and Gas.
Others are: Enageed Resources Limited, New Cross Exploration and Production, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Petroleum Development Resources, Munipulo Petroleum Development Company, Prime Exploration and Production Company and Nigeria LNG Limited.
Nwaoboshi said: “We have invited all oil companies indebted to NDDC to come and tell lawmakers why they will not obey the law of the country. Some of them have confirmed that they are indebted to NDDC.”
He said that while the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) is indebted to the tune of N54 billion as at when the last calculation was done, Allied and Pan Ocean owe $43 million and $46 million.
He said the Federal Government owed NDDC over N1trillion.
Nwaoboshi said the eight Senate made efforts to ensure the prompt payment of money owed NDDC.
He accused the firms of not disclosing their real budget, saying most oil companies tamper with their annual budget.
He said the Committee resolved to carry out a comprehensive probe of NDDC in addition to the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nwaoboshi said: “We welcome a forensic audit of the NDDC. The Eight Senate did a technical audit and our findings are very appalling. We are going to do our full investigation. We have resolved to do a full audit of the NDDC.”
He said that the Committee discovered that funds meant for the NDDC were wrongly credited to the account of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
He said the Committee has directed the CBN to retrieve the money and credit it to the NDDC’s account.
