The management of Agip Oil Company has been summoned by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions once more about an alleged N80 million debt owing to a local contractor, De Coon Services Ltd.
The management declined to appear before the committee, thus Michael Etaba (PDP, Cross River), the committee chairman, issued the summons on Thursday.
Etaba stated at the hearing that Agip declined the committee’s request to appear after a petition was brought before the House.
He said that despite paying foreigners for the same task, it was wrong to underpay a local company for a job well done.
Nelson Onubogu, the CEO of De Coon, stated in his speech that although NNPC Limited had paid for the work his business had performed for Agip, Agip had refused to give the money to his company.
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“NNPC Limited has paid my company more than 80 million dollars that they owe us.” Although the money was paid, it was taken out of Nigeria by the NNPC Limited. The money was taken out of Nigeria by Agip Oil corporation using certain cronies, and they declined to reimburse the Nigerian corporation. Onubogu claimed, “Agip took all my cancelled contracts and gave them to my own staff while they were working for me,” emphasising that he would only take payment in full from the oil giant.
“All I’m arguing is that Agip needs to pay my money; the NNPCL ought to order Agip to do so. I don’t think there should be a middle ground; I think that what is right should be done; they owe me money, and they should reimburse me for all of the contracts that were granted to me. In Nigeria, there are laws and guidelines governing contract granting and termination,” he stated.
Speaking on the matter of Agip’s non-appearance, committee member Matthew Nwogu described the oil giant’s behaviour as impolite.
“It is regrettable that those who ought to answer to Nigerians don’t.” The constitution assigns an organisation to manage matters pertaining to Nigerian citizens’ lives when a committee such as this one is established, thus the rejection ought to raise some red flags.
“I’m not sure who’s shielding whom, but nobody is above the law—the president and governor are the only ones with immunity,” he declared.
Subsequently, the committee decided that Agip would have to show up on June 26 or risk legislative action.
