No fewer than 20 constitutional lawyers have called on the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream), to recommend the suspension of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mele Kyari.

This call also includes the suspension of Lawal Sade, Managing Director of NNPC Trading Company, and Bala Wunti, Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), pending the conclusion of a forensic investigation into the company’s operations.

The lawyers, led by constitutional activist, Tijani Usman, issued a press statement on Thursday, insisting that suspending these executives was crucial to ensuring an uninterrupted investigation. They argued that allowing these officials to remain in their positions would enable them to access sensitive information and documents, potentially derailing the investigation.

The legal practitioners criticised Kyari and his team for allegedly sabotaging President Tinubu’s efforts to salvage the nation’s economy. They asserted that the executives’ incompetence has hindered legislative intentions aimed at improving the petroleum sector.

The lawyers equally urged the Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (Downstream) and Hon. Henry Okojie (Midstream)-led probe panel not to sweep the OVH Acquisition and other related deals under the carpet as they are the larger issues the joint committee should look into beyond those raised in the motion that prompted the forensic investigation.

“It is quite fascinating that the House of Representatives has resolved to carry out a forensic investigation into the presence of middlemen in trading, the indiscriminate issuance of licenses, the unavailability of laboratories to check adulterated products, the influx of adulterated products into the country, the allegation of non-domestication of profits realised from crude marketing sales in local banks, and other anomalies.

“Interestingly too, the forensic investigation also cover the importation of substandard products and high-sulphur diesel into Nigeria, the sale of petroleum products below fair market value, and the impact on downstream and local refineries and as the source of funds for such interventions, amongst other things, and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.

“However, this would be efforts in futility if the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari and his cohorts, especially Lawal Sade, the Managing Director of NNPC Trading Company and Bala Wunti, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) are allowed to remain in office why the investigation is being conducted.

“Thus, we urge the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream) conducting forensic investigation into the state of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and downstream sector generally to recommend their suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or else they will use their tremendous influence to sabotage this timely intervention.

“When that is done, President Tinubu who should by now realised that the Kyari- led NNPCL was sabotaging his efforts to fix the economy due to their crass incompetent and mischief should suspend the management of the company to give the lawmakers unfettered access to do their job.

“Beyond those rots spelt out in the motion which necessitated the probe, the Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (Downstream) and Hon. Henry Okojie (Midstream)-led probe panel should make sure the OVH Acquisition and other sleeze are not swept under the carpet.

“Nigerians are well aware how after N140 billion purchase, NNPCL was unable to complete the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing Limited‘s downstream assets. So, the panel will be daring the people who are already fed up with the kleptomania in the company.”