Ike Amos
31 October 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Tuesday, said its planned dinner with members of the National Assembly was not designed to influence the probe of its Group Managing Director, Mr. Maikanti Baru.
The NNPC in a series of tweets on Twitter, said the dinner with members of the Senate and House of Representatives, scheduled to hold Tuesday, October 31, 2017, which had been called off, was part of its routine stakeholders’ engagement which began since April this year.
It said, “The attention of the NNPC Group has been drawn to online publication claiming it has organized a ‘Special Dinner’ for national assembly Nigeria members, following plans to investigate Dr. Maikanti Baru over Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu’s memo.
“NNPC Group wishes to state that the dinner was part of the Corporation’s routine stakeholder engagement which began since April this year. In April this year, NNPC Group had organized similar stakeholder dinner for publishers, editors and correspondents based in Abuja.
“The dinner for members of the National Assembly had been earlier scheduled for the same April, but was postponed because the lawmakers were on recess. The dinner was later rescheduled for May, but was postponed once again to the bereavement of Baru.”
The NNPC further noted that the dinner was rescheduled for July this year, noting that it was later called off due to unavailability of the lawmakers as a result of Sallah break.
The NNPC said, “It is important to note that all the national Assembly core committees relevant to oil and gas industry have agreed on October 31 for the dinner. Unfortunately, the lawmakers have been slated to have an engagement with the Presidency today. Thus, the dinner has been called off today.
“Having been slated since April and postponed due to circumstances, the dinner could not have coincided with the National Assembly’s investigation on the Group Managing Director.”
