…. Senator Ned Nwoko Seeks Clarity on Past Leakages, Current Operations Before Final Senate Report
The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the persistent loss of crude oil revenues paid an oversight working visit to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) on Tuesday, as part of its ongoing engagements with strategic institutions in the sector.
The committee, led by its chairman, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, was received by the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Engr. Udobong Ntia, and other senior officials of the national oil company.
In his opening remarks before the session moved behind closed doors, Senator Ned Nwoko reasserted the seriousness of the assignment before the committee and the level of work already completed. He said the Senate expects a report that is factual, defensible, and comprehensive, given the enormity of losses associated with crude oil theft over the years.
“This is a committee with a very clear mandate. We have undertaken extensive work so far, including engaging both internal and international consultants, conducting field assessments, analyzing data and producing three separate interim reports, all of which have been formally laid before the Senate”.
The senator noted that while historical losses remain a major concern, with credible external documentation estimating crude oil theft at about $300 billion over time, the committee is equally focused on understanding present-day realities within NNPC’s upstream operations.
“The totality of the three interim reports shows clearly that there were a lot of issues in the past. But while the historical picture is important, our immediate priority here is to understand clearly what the situation is today, what has changed, what remains unresolved, and what measures your team has put in place to ensure sustainable progress. We do have serious issues that we need answers to before concluding our reports.”
Senator Ned Nwoko noted NNPC’s recent claims of reduced disruptions on critical pipelines and improved operational stability but emphasised that the committee requires verifiable data and full transparency to reconcile past leakages with present realities.
“There are two parts to this: one is about previous activities, some of which predate the current management. And second, to critically examine ongoing operations and the reforms now in place. We will deal with what is happening now, and in relation to our reports, we will also seek to have some private discussions with your team.”
Following his remarks, the senators and the NNPC leadership proceeded into a closed-door meeting, expected to cover detailed operational data, security measures, and audit trails relevant to the Senate’s ongoing investigation.
