Tinubu, NASS urged to ensure due process on award of Pre-Shipment oil and gas Contracts

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly have been called upon to ensure adherence to due process on the award of pre-shipment oil and gas contracts.

The Transparency Alliance Network led by Mr Zakary Musa Zubairu argued that the call was preempted by alleged moves subvert the concluded bidding process for the engagement of consultants for the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) and Monitoring/Evaluation Agents (MEAs) under the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) in the Oil and Gas sector.

The rights group alleged that there are subterranean moves by highly placed government officials to replace the names of companies who won the bids with their preferred companies.

The group maintained that its resolve to speak against the breach of due process on the matter was in the best interest of the nation.

The group vowed to expose tjose who who have turned themselves into demigods and lawbreakers using their influence to defraud Nigerians and go against the anti-corruption stance of the President.

The statement read in part, “we have credible and irrefutable evidence that some persons especially in the Office of the Chief of Staff have hijacked an already concluded bidding process for the engagement of consultants for PIAs and MEAs, with an approval letter duly signed and issued by President Muhammadu Buhari referenced PRES/87/MF/314 to 8 companies and replaced them with their personal companies with no experience and expertise in the Oil and Gas sector.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the companies that were engaged as consultants on the 15th of May, 2023 in the approval letter quoted above were; Messrs Troboil International Nigeria Limited, Trust Global Services Limited, Kephron Business Limited, Robinson International Energy Limited, Marybel Nigeria Limited. Others are; Candid Oil Services Limited, Beachstone Limited, General Marine and Oil Services Limited and Patibon Services Limited.

“Of all the Companies that won the bid based on their track record of experience and expertise, only Patibon Services Limited and and Candid Oil Limited that made the list finally released on the 25th of October, 2023 vide a letter with reference PRES/87/MF/8. The six unqualified and illegal companies included in that letter includes; Neroli Technologies Limited, Holborn Pil and Gas International Limited, Swede Control Intertek Limited, JBIS Integrated Resources Limited and Offshore Bulk Inspection Company Limited. Instead of sponsoring media attacks and describing patriotic groups as faceless, the Chief of Staff should rather tell Nigerians why such discrepancies exist and the motive behind it”.

The group also those defending it as well as trying to downplay a clear case of policy reversal to explain why an approval issued since 15th of May, 2023 was not be implemented until 25th of October, 2023.

The group also chided those paid to defend corruption to explain why Nigerian lost over $160 million to Pre-Shipment Inspection failures if not because of their penchant to derail and delay the process until such a time as it’ll be convenient for them to commit their fraud.

“For those still in doubt about the corruption regarding the PIAs and MEAs consultants engagement, the resolve of the House of Representatives to investigate alleged abuse, breach, and violation of the Public Procurement Act in the engagement of consultants for pre-shipment inspection and monitoring of crude oil and gas exports from Nigeria which led to the loss of $160 million has vindicated us. No amount of blackmailing and arm twisting will silence us until the right thing is done.

“Our prayer is that the House of Representatives will do act swiftly to forestall the loss of billions of dollars with the kind collaboration and support of Mr. President”, the statement added.