The House of Representatives committee on the Review of Pump Price of Petrol, led by Rep. Nnana Igbokwe (PDP-Imo) has ordered the Nigeria Police Force in National Assembly (NASS) to verify claims made by BUVAS, AITEO Energy & Gas, Bulk Strategic Ltd, and Surelink Oil & Gas.
According to the chairman of the committee, the above oil marketers lied on oath to the committee that they have not collected Foreign Exchange (FOREX) from January 2015 to date from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), petroleum productt Marketing
Company (PPMC).
The lawmaker further accused representatives of the oil firms that they dubiously denied any indebtedness to Petroleum Equalization Trust Fund (PEF).
The committee also raised concern over the authenticity of receipts of payments presented to the committee by the aforementioned oil marketers.
Igbokwe further explained that there have been situations where such documents were presented in court as subsidy claims only to be discovered as fake.
"Though I am not completely saying this is fake but we would prefer you all furnish us with your electronic generated receipts for all payments made", he emphasized.
Rep Emmanue Iboro (Akwa Ibom-PDP), a member of the adhoc committee also spoke in the same vein noting: "you will agree with us that the decision of the committee to subject you to further investigation was not done with giving you the opportunity to defend yourselves."
The committee while ruling on the matter directed the Managing Directors of the above companies to appear before its on the 27 March, 2017.
Nonetheless, the following oil marketers representatives were accompanied by National Assembly Sergeant at Arm and a police officer to the NASS police station to make statements to serve as a guide to the police in tracing firms that collected FOREX during the period under review.
Igboke explained that, "in the record we have before us as submitted by CBN, AITEO Energy and Gas, they collected FOREX worth $18million, while BUVAS & Co.Ltd got $37million, Bulk Strategic Ltd also collected $22million and Surelink Oil & Gas claimed $18.7million. So we place this matter on further inquiry."
Among the oil marketers representatives that attended the session were the Executive Director (BUVAS & Co.Ltd) Mr Temitope, Regional manager (AITEO Energy & Gas), Company Secretary (Bulk Strategic Ltd), Ben Amego, and Surelink Oil & Gas's Sonia Edem.
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