Reps direct FG to halt sale of refineries

The house of representatives on Wednesday stopped the privatisation of the country’s refineries by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The house committee on privatisation took the position in Abuja after it expressed dissatisfaction with the presentation of Anibor Kragha, group executive director (GED) refineries of the NNPC.

“The NNPC initiated the procedure without following the due process,” the committee said.

Kragha during his submission told the committee that the NNPC was only seeking a joint venture in the management of the refineries and was not privatising it.

“NNPC does not have the mandate to privatise, it is a misrepresentation,” he said.

The GED, who said he was appointed in April 2016, explained that he was not aware of the letters written to NNPC by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) on the said privatisation of the refineries.

On his part, Vincent Akpotabie, acting director-general of BPE, said the bureau was not aware that the NNPC was making a move to privatise the refineries.

He further explained that the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan had begun preparing a framework for the privatisation of the refineries.

After hearing both submissions the committee said the NNPC violated the BPE act of section 11 adding that the joint venture agreement, NNPC claimed to be seeking, had overtime failed the country.

Ahmed Yerima, chairman of the committee, while ruling on the issue said: “You have not given us clear cut answers and you were saying you were recently appointed.

“In fact you don’t have a presentation which is against the rule.

“I suggest we call off the meeting and you stop all procedures of privatisation, and we are going to report this to the house. It is a total violation of the BPE act.”

The committee further summoned Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum, to answer questions on the said privatisation of the refineries.