House Battles PPPRA's Executive Secretary Over Due process Abuse

ABUJA, Oct 18, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives today threatened to issue a warrant for the arrest of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Abiodun Ibikunle, if he fails to appear before it in seven days.

Ibikunle was invited by the House to answer questions over allegations of discrimination and abuse of due process in the allocation of Petroleum Products Imports approvals leveled against him.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Cyril Maduabum, who disclosed this at the public hearing organised to investigate the allegations against the Executive Secretary said the committee would have no option but to get him arrested after one week.

Maduabum expressed worry that the absence of Ibikunle had added to the frustration of the committee regarding the investigation pointing out that this was the second time that the PPPRA leadership was acting in disregard of the House of Representatives.

According to Maduabum, “We are summoning the PPPRA Executive Secretary to appear before the committee next week. If he fails to appear before us by that date, we will activate the powers of the legislature to compel him to appear and answer our questions because the constitution empowers us to make laws and conduct investigations too.

“We are shocked that the PPPRA can continue to undermine the work of this committee. In fact, it is a slight on the committee and there is no excuse for this at all.”

The Chairman lamented that the PPPRA had for sometime been treating the committee with contempt disclosing that “By a letter dated 22 July, 2010, this committee forwarded to the Executive Secretary of the PPPRA for necessary action on a petition by Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd against the PPPRA in respect of the allocation of petroleum products imports approval; and the administration of the newly introduced Sovereign Debt Instrument (SDI).

“The committee further requested the PPPRA Executive Secretary to investigate the petition with a view to a possible resolution and to submit the report of findings, resolution or possible settlement to the committee within 21 days. The committee notes with regret the inability of the PPPRA to provide a response to its request within the time frame.”