The House of Representatives wants to partner stakeholders to investigate the alleged loss of over $2.4 billion in revenue to the illegal sale of crude oil.

 Mark Gbillah, the chairman of the ad hoc committee investigating the matter, disclosed this during the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja.

The lawmaker assured whistleblowers of confidentiality and said the investigation was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive.

He explained that the committee had to be set up seven years after the incident because it was brought to the fore in 2020, and the House needed background information for a thorough investigation and outcome.

Mr Gbillah solicited the support of individuals and corporate organisations to enable the committee to achieve its mandate.

A member of the committee, Ganiyu Johnson (APC-Lagos), said as part of efforts to revive the various refineries in the country, the committee on the state of refineries visited some refineries, assuring that Port Harcourt and Warri refineries would start full operation by first and last quarters of 2023.

“We want to assure all the whistleblowers who have revelations to provide to this honourable committee that their information would be treated in the strictest level of confidence,” stated Mr Johnson. “We can receive evidence behind closed doors before we make them public because we too are concerned about spurious and false allegations.”

The legislator stressed that “we too want to determine and see the facts behind any such allegations before we bring them to public knowledge because we are a public body saddled with the representation of the Nigerian people.”

(NAN)