House Of Reps Committee On Petroleum Upstream Adjourns Hearing On Alleged $30million Agip Fraudsters

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Upstream has adjourned the investigative hearing of the alleged breach of contract between NIGERIA AGIP OIL COMPANY (NAOC) and DE COON Services Limited following the failure of NAOC team to appear it on Wednesday.

The Chairman of the committee, Musa Adar (APC-Sokoto), made the announcement at a hearing on Wednesday August 12th in Abuja.

DE COON Services Limited had petitioned the House, accusing Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) of refusing to pay over $30 million and N70m accrued outstanding bills for engineering jobs executed in a contract it won via tender for the company since 2014, amongst other infractions that are inimical to the terms contained in the contract agreement.

The committee had on July 29, 2020 summoned NAOC, NNPC and Oando, (the other JV partners) to appear on Wednesday August 12th to explain the discrepancies and their roles in the allegations.

However, the Nigeria Content Development Management Board (NCDMB) who were named in the petition had honoured the committee’s invitation for Wednesday 12th August, and its officers were present at the hearing.

Adar explained that the committee was postponing the hearing because Agip had refused attending the hearing citing fears over the COVID-19 pandemic.

While saying that NAOC had indicated willingness to appear online and make submissions on the accusations, he expressed dissatisfaction with that because the lockdown has been lifted, and even the House has been sitting daily since.