. Summon EFCC, NSCDC, others concerning subsidy probe
The House of Representatives yesterday accused the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sahara Energy of parliamentary contempt and issued a September 7, deadline for him to appear before its Ad-hoc Committee investigating the payment of multi-trillion naira fuel subsidies between 2013 and 2022.
This is even as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, is today expected to appear before the Committee, while the CEO of Hyde Energy; and the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), appears tomorrow, to be quizzed in the ongoing probe.
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Ibrahim Aliyu, who presided over the Investigative Hearing held at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, said issues were raised concerning Sahara Energy’s legal status, among others, which needed to be addressed during the subsidy probe.
He said: “The investigative hearing continued today and we were supposed to have in appearance Sahara Energy Limited. On Tuesday 9th of August, Sahara Energy appeared before the Committee and there were issues raised concerning their legal status that have to do with their company profile.
“It was resolved by this Committee that Sahara Energy should appear today 16th August to give more clarification on their legal status and other issues as resolved by this Committee.
“As you can see up till this time, Sahara Energy could not avail themselves. We regard this as a total disregard for the constitutional provisions and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a deliberate attempt to subvert the work of this Committee by Sahara Energy.
“We did not receive any communication from them informing this Committee of their non-appearance today. In line with this and the express mandate given to this Committee by the provisions of Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), this Committee hereby summons Sahara Energy to appear before it on 7th September 2022 unfailingly with all the issues they were mandated to provide before the Committee.”
We regard this as a total disregard for the constitutional provisions and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a deliberate attempt to subvert the work of this Committee by Sahara Energy.
