By Kassim Omomia
The House of Representatives has commenced a probe into allegations of abuses of bidding, contracting and operating processes brought against Exxon Mobil by Indigenous catering companies as well as Nigerians

Chairman of  the House  Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Hon Legor Idagbo, said an investigative hearing that it was all out to get the truth and not to  witch-hunt anybody

“This investigative hearing is not a witch-hunt in any way. We are all Nigerians and what is in the best interest of our country and our citizens should be paramount in our minds. There is no way our indigenes would complain to us and we would fold our hands and not do something about it,” he said.

He stated that on April 21, 2021, during plenary, the American company was reported to have commenced a contract process that favored foreign companies to the exclusion of indigenous service providers.

According to him, similar reports of unfair treatment to Nigerians who render services to the company, especially the termination of catering contract of Royalty Hotels and Eden Hotels (catering companies owned by Nigerians) in August 2019 without clear reasons and re-awarding same to West African Caterers (a foreign company) were also made to the House

The House is also aware that there are prejudiced and biased procurement requirements for catering service provisions targeted at automatically disqualifying proficient Nigerian companies from participating in the new catering technical and commercial bid.

Following these allegations, the  Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring was mandated to investigate the matter by inviting Exxon Mobil’s management, the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, he said.

However, at the hearing yesterday, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Exxon Mobil, Segun Banwo, who represented the Managing Director, refuted the allegations.

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He said the MD was unable to appear because he was in isolation because of COVID-19, having just gotten into the country.

After taking submissions, the committee adjourned for two weeks with the directive that Exxon Mobil provides documents to back their claim at the next sitting.

The committee also demanded that the company’s Managing Director appear in person.

“For our indigenous contractors, we would try to ensure we protect you as much as possible. But we will also try not to jeopardize the operations of a multinational company that seeks to serve us too. So we would try to create that balance. All we are doing is that we want to be armed with adequate information so that we can balance the two and then arrive at a decision,” Idagbo said.