$26 Billion Contract Scam: NNPC Treats Lawmakers To “Special Dinner”

In a curious affair, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), had slated Tuesday, October 31, 2017 to treat members of the National Assembly to a “special dinner.”

In a card sighted by our correspondent signed by Ndu Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the NNPC, the event is slated for Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and a ‘card only admits.’

However, THE WHISTLER learnt that the dinner has been postponed due to a meeting of the lawmakers with President Muhammadu Buhari on the same day in the evening.

Reacting to inquiries by our correspondent, Mr. Ughamadu said it was programme planned to hold in May but could not hold due to NASS being on recess.

According to him, the NNPC in 2017 decided to organise stakeholders’ consultative meetings with editors, publishers, correspondents and members of the National Assembly.

He explained further that “the Corporation has successfully met with editors, publishers and correspondents and that of the National Assembly which was expected to hold in May was moved to September.

“However, both chambers of the NASS embarked on recess and agreed to shift the dinner for Tuesday 31 October,” stressing that it had no bearing with the ongoing effort by the Senate to investigate the corporation.

It will be recalled that the Senate had launched a probe into the affairs of the oil behemoth following a letter by the Minister of State, Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu to Buhari complaining about insubordination and ill treatment from the GMD of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru.

The decision of the Senate to probe the state owned-oil company followed a motion by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and seconded by Senator Kabiru Marafa.

Senator Aliyu Wamakko who heads the nine-member ad-hoc probe committee has met with President Buhari twice since the composition of the committee and it said to be under pressure to whittle down the work of the committee, a claim which the Senate has denied.

Wamakko in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bashir Mani.

The lawmaker said: “Let me dispel the rumours going around that, the committee is not under intense pressure wither from the Presidency or elsewhere.

“The fact is that, we are not under any pressure from anyone, let alone from the Presidency. I am sure that those of us who know President Muhammadu Buhari are quite sure that he will never interfere in such matters.”

Fears have been expressed in many quarters that owing to the no-time frame given the committee, the ad-hoc committee was already dead on arrival.