Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Allwell Onyesoh
The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Allwell Onyesoh, on Friday criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for repeatedly failing to honour invitations from the National Assembly, describing the action as a setback to legislative oversight and the fight against crude oil theft.
Onyesoh spoke with journalists after a meeting of the Senate committee investigating crude oil theft and considering amendments to Nigeria’s petroleum laws to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing the oil and gas sector.
The Rivers East senator had earlier staged a walkout from the committee meeting in protest over what he described as the recurring absence of the NNPCL’s top management at critical legislative engagements.
He said the corporation’s repeated failure to appear before the committee undermined transparency, weakened legislative oversight and reflected a disregard for democratic institutions.
