The House Committee on Aviation has rescheduled its investigation into the controversial introduction of Nigeria Air by the previous administration, which was led by Muhammadu Buhari.
The committee had previously invited interested parties to the hearing scheduled for Monday in Abuja.
However, the majority of stakeholders had departed the venue before the arrival of the committee’s chairman, Nnolim Nnaji, who arrived approximately two hours late.
The committee has invited the Ministry of Aviation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Airline Operators of Nigeria, Ethiopian Airlines, and aviation fuel (Jet-A1) providers.
After his arrival, Nnaji apologised to those who had waited at the venue and requested that the hearing be rescheduled to 3 p.m. on Tuesday (today).
After eight years, the Buhari administration had failed to deliver Nigeria Air due to the controversy that enveloped the national carrier.
Under the auspices of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, the Federal Government boycotted domestic airlines and signed a contract with Ethiopian Airlines to launch the Nigerian carrier.
Therefore, the AON had taken the government and its agencies to court to stop the process.
In the meantime, the House has summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emiefele; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Auditor General of the Federation, and the Accountant General of the Federation regarding the payment of N32.5 billion to two companies, Messrs GSCL Consulting and Biz Plus, without formal documentation.
The House also summoned the Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers of several energy companies, including Exxon Mobil and Nigeria Agip energy Company, to testify regarding petroleum transactions in the country.
At its Monday investigative hearing in Abuja, the House Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Loss of Over $2.4 Billion in Revenue from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude Oil Export in 2015, Including All Crude Oil Exports and Sales by Nigeria from 2014 to Date issued the summons.
In the meantime, the committee questioned the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Bashir Jamoh, who informed the lawmakers that the Federal Government had yet to collect a $1.7 billion judgement debt from a company found guilty of making false declarations regarding the crude oil it took from Nigeria.
Gbillah, however, stated that records available to the committee demonstrated that the CBN paid N16.5 billion to two companies on the same day, and that the companies withdrew the funds within two months.
The chairman emphasised the need for the CBN to explain the payments made to the companies, especially considering Malami’s denial of knowledge.
Gbillah stated that all agencies, officials, and corporations summoned by the committee have an obligation to respond, noting that even though the 9th House is winding down, it can still issue an arrest warrant for them.
Jamoh subsequently informed journalists that NIMASA was continuing to pursue the matter in court.
He stated, “In 2013, when the revenue profile was low, the Attorney-General’s office instructed NIMASA to coordinate two technical teams to source data on the actual lifting of crude oil and the final destination point to identify any discrepancies.”