The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Oil Theft is inviting several high-ranking officials in the Federal Government over its investigation into the alleged loss of over $2.4 billion in revenue from the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil export in 2015.

Some of the officials invited yesterday to answer questions are the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; and the Secretary General of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Channels TV reports.

Also summoned are the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh; and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), among others.

The committee is also concerned about the disparity in figures from crude oil sales from 2011 to 2014 and is accusing the minister of finance of approving payments to whistle-blowers at variance with the whistle-blower policy.

•AGF, Interpol Interference?

The ad hoc House committee is investigating a whistle-blower’s allegation of illegal sale of 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s bonny light crude in China in 2015, valued at $2.4 billion.

The committee, in February, had accused the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami as well as Interpol, of what it described as interference in the committee’s investigation.

The committee questioned why a whistle-blower would be invited by Interpol at the request of the Ministry of Justice just after the commencement of the investigation of the House.

However, the Head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol Nigeria, Garba Umar, said the Bureau only acted on the request of the AGF.

The Chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on Oil Theft, Mark Gbillah said, “There is a group called Advocacy for Good Governance and Free Nigeria.

“That is the so-called Civil Society Organisation that wrote to the Attorney General claiming there was this international gang of blackmailers trying to blackmail senior officials of the government.

“How come the Attorney General responded to allegations by a faceless body? That means the Attorney General himself did not ascertain the veracity of any organisation.”

The Committee, dissatisfied with the submission of Interpol, accused the AGF of interfering with the investigation of the House.

The Committee feared the safety of the whistle-blower and insisted that the Ministry of Justice should not be making direct requests to Interpol but should go through the police, as Interpol by law is only expected to respond to requests by local law enforcement agencies.

•Whistle-blowers reject lawmakers’ probe of stolen 48 million barrels of oil sold in China
Meanwhile, members of the George Uboh Whistle-blowers Network yesterday besieged the National Assembly Complex to protest against the Mark Gbillah-led Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on alleged 48 million barrels of crude oil stolen in Nigeria and sold in China.

The protesters were led by Ambassador Joseph Peter Umoh.

They were armed with banners and placards with various inscriptions denouncing the setting up of the Ad-Hoc Committee by the House of Representatives when the crime according to them, was already being litigated against in the court of law.

Addressing journalists during the protest through a written statement, Umoh said the Mark Gbillah led Ad-hoc Committee on the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of stolen crude oil, later sold in China at $2.4bn, was unnecessary since the crime was already being litigated against in the court of law.

He said as whistle-blowers, they exposed the stolen crude oil and illegal sales in China to Gbillah and Nigerians generally.

Gbillah, he added, rather than carry them along in the planned investigation, decided to do it alone, raising suspicion on vested interests.

He said, “The whistle-blowers who furnished Mark Gbillah the information germane to the 48 million barrels of crude oil stolen did not file any petition to the National Assembly for any investigation or hearing, neither were they called as witnesses to testify during the hearing.

“Because Gbillah did not follow this sacrosanct due process, the purported public hearing by the ad-hoc committee is a sham predicated on unilateral action driven by greed.

“Therefore, we the whistle-blowers at this protest, authoritatively assert that the National Assembly does not hear or deliberate on any matter in court.

“Two different competent courts of jurisdictions, are already handling the case filed against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari to account for proceeds from the stolen crude oil which are roughly estimated to be $2.4bn at $50 per barrel and $4.8bn at $100 per barrel.

“Gbillah led Ad – Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives, should therefore hand off the matter by not sitting or carrying out any public hearing on it,” he said.

When told that the Ad-hoc Committee was not set up by Gbillah himself, but by the leadership of the House of Representatives, he said the protest was staged for the leadership to know the futility of its action on the committee.