By Nurat Uthman
The House of Representatives joint committees yesterday summoned the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, to appear on May 8, 2024 over a probe on environmental degradation caused by the activities of oil companies in oil producing communities in the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Pondi Julius Gbabojor, gave the summon at an investigative hearing on the need to investigate the service and unprecedented environmental damage within the communities.“ Also to appear before the joint committee are the chief executives of some oil companies and relevant government agencies.
The House committees include Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Climate Change.
Gbabojor said the matter to be addressed was critical as he threatened appropriate sanctions if those invited failed to turn up.
Besides the NNPC Limited, oil companies summoned include Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Total Energies, Oando Oil Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Seplat Energy, among others.
Also government agencies summoned include Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency, National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency.
When the probe commenced yesterday, only four of 35 oil companies and agencies invited for the probe showed up.
The National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency, however, sent an excuse through a representative, but others did not give any reason for their absence.
