The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has dismissed a petition accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s Executive Vice-President, Downstream, Dr Mumuni Dagazau, of conflict of interest and money laundering.
The committee adopted the recommendation of its subcommittee, which investigated the petition submitted by the Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Nigeria’s Petroleum Sector.
Presenting the report, the subcommittee chairman, Almustapha Aliyu, said the petitioners appeared before the panel on October 21 but submitted newspaper clippings rather than documentary evidence to support their allegations.
He said the petitioners failed to attend subsequent sittings on October 22 and 23, despite being asked to provide additional evidence.
Aliyu said Dagazau was represented at the hearings, where his representatives answered the panel’s questions and submitted relevant documents.
“No evidence was placed before the subcommittee to establish any of the allegations contained in the petition,” he said, recommending that it be dismissed.
The subcommittee also took note of a subsisting court order relating to previous allegations concerning the acquisition of OVH, avoiding further investigation of matters covered by the order.
Committee chairman Ikenga Ugochinyere said the panel remained open to investigating credible allegations backed by verifiable evidence, cautioning against using legislative proceedings to advance unsubstantiated claims.
In a separate matter, the committee granted its subcommittee an additional 14 days to conclude an investigation involving NIPCO Plc.
The committee also commended NNPCL’s management for its contribution to downstream petroleum reforms and expressed support for President Bola Tinubu and the company’s group chief executive, urging continued backing for efforts to strengthen domestic refining and fuel security.
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