The Senate Public Accounts Committee has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Seplat Energy, Network E&P Nigeria Ltd, Aradel Energy, All Grace Energy Ltd, and other oil companies to appear before lawmakers following their failure to attend a scheduled investigative hearing on Tuesday.
The committee is interrogating queries raised in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 financial reports submitted by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Expressing strong displeasure over the firms’ absence, Committee Chairman Senator Abdul Ningi described their conduct as “disturbing and unacceptable.” Ningi specifically criticized a submission by one of the defaulting companies, which claimed that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is its sole regulator.
Rejecting the assertion, Ningi asserted that such a position reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of legislative oversight.
“The Senate and, by extension, the National Assembly, is the custodian of Nigerian law and has the power to invite anybody or agency,” Ningi stated, citing Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution as the statutory basis for summoning any individual or organization on public matters.
Supporting the chairman, Senator Shehu Kaka urged the panel to apply sanctioning powers if the companies fail to yield to the directive.
“Having failed to honour the invitation of this committee two consecutive times, the Managing Director of Network E&P Nigeria Ltd and others must appear before us unfailingly on Thursday this week or risk the full invocation of legislative powers against them,” Kaka warned.
Dubri Oil Clarifies $3.25 Million Royalty Debt
In a related development, Dubri Oil Company Ltd honoured the invitation and addressed an alleged $3.25 million debt linked to unpaid royalties and gas flaring penalties.
Representing the firm, Soyode Olusoji explained that the outstanding figure stemmed from ongoing reconciliation processes between Dubri Oil and the NUPRC, noting that NEITI’s audit was published while inter-agency discussions were still underway.
