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Tag: NLNG

  • Oil workers urge NLNG to complete Train 7

    Oil workers urge NLNG to complete Train 7

    Oil workers, acting under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have urged shareholders and Board of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), to approve the  completion of Train 7 project  to  make the company more competitive in the global gas market.

    It said the completion would enable the country to end gas flaring by harnessing the flared gas for domestic use and for export as well.

    Speaking at the 4th Triennial Delegates Conference of PENGASSAN Branch of the NLNG in Bonny, Rivers State, its President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, said that Train 7 project was established to further exploit the emerging global market demand for LNG and to remain competitive, adding that in 2017, there is expected to be a potential drop in global LNG price due to competition as there is likelihood of increase in the number of suppliers.

    He said: “We expect that in the face of a drop in crude oil price and glut in global crude oil market, LNG would have become another veritable source of revenue and foreign reserve for the government and the company.

    “Train 7 completion will definitely increase the company’s share of global market, enhance flare reduction or total flare out, and attract $10 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with zero cash out from the government.

    “Other benefits Train 7 will bring on completion are job creation through the construction of the plant in Bonny and construction of gas pipelines in other communities; increase capacity to meet domestic market demand, and maximisation of the Nigeria Content Development Act through local capacity building.”

    Johnson urged the government to give priority to domestic gas utilisation over export, enhance gas utilisation with full reappraisal of the Gas Master Plan, and adequately fund the NLNG’s operations.

    He also urged the government to extract commitment on gas flare-down to a nearest predictable timeline from the oil and gas companies operating in the country and find lasting solution to incessant vandalism of gas pipelines.

  • Jobs coming with NLNG’s six vessels

    Jobs coming with NLNG’s six vessels

    Hundreds of jobs will be coming from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited as it takes delivery of its six vessels and constructs a dry-dock yard in Badagry, Lagos, writes EMEKA UGWUANYI.

    HUNDREDS of jobs are on the way as the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited takes delivery of its six new vessels.

    The six vessels were built at a cost of $1.6 billion in South Korea. Two of the ships are being built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) while the other four are being built at Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

    The Nation learnt that each of the vessels will have at least 50 workers on board, including captains, engineers, seamen and other ancillary workers, such as caterers.

    Besides the workers on board the ships, there are other workers that would be employed at the company’s base in Bonny, Port Harcourt, Rivers State to handle other responsibilities that will arise from the fleet expansion, it was learnt.

    According to the company’s source, contrary to the initial schedule for delivery of the vessels, which would have started next year, the vessel will sail in from the last quarter of the year, indicating that the delivery of the ships will be taken earlier than scheduled in the contract.

    Some Nigerians were also taken to Korea for training on shipbuilding and management as well as other marine activities. Some indirect jobs are still being created as the NLNG in line with the Nigerian Content programme, insisted on use of some made in Nigeria products such as paints, furniture and cables leading to export of these materials to Korea. Some of the beneficiary companies include Berger Paints. With increase in production resulting from export of these made in Nigeria materials, the beneficiary companies will employ more hands to meet rising demand, the NLNG said.

    At least, over 400 jobs will be created by the time NLNG takes full delivery of the six vessels, the source said.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited, Mr. Babs Omotowa, speaking on the company’s job creation achievements and the ones to be created by procuring six new vessels, noted that each construction year (when a new train is built), more than 2,000 jobs are created.

    He said: “Nigeria LNG Limited provided more than 2,000 jobs each construction year. Overall, the major sub-contractors employed about 18,000 Nigerians in technical jobs in the base project.

    “Through each Nigerian Content plan for its contracts, NLNG has promoted the development and employment of Nigerian manpower. For instance, 600 Nigerians will be trained in Nigeria and at the contractors’ (Hyundai and Samsung) shipyards in Korea as part of the Nigerian Content deliverables tied to the construction of six new LNG vessels by Bonny Gas Transport (BGT), a wholly owned subsidiary of NLNG.

    “Those 600 Nigerians, with enhanced skills in welding, hull assembly, pipe fitting, electrical, mechanical, painting and ship design will join the country’s workforce, providing a support base for technology transfer and industrialisation. Thirty-five of the Nigerian trainees are currently in Korea for participation in the ship construction and six Nigerians are already working as ship managers (two Production Managers, two Quality Assurance/Quality Control Managers and HSE managers) in the ship construction at the shipyards in Korea,”

    Besides, Omotowa the shipbuilding projects created indirect jobs as the company ensured that some made in Nigeria products such as paint, cables, anodes and furniture were exported to be used in the construction of the vessels. “The Nigerian Content commitment in the project, which is defined in a Memorandum of Agreement between NLNG, BGT and the shipyards (Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries), includes major initiatives such as the training and development of Nigerians (both in Nigeria and Korea) in various aspects of ship design and construction, the supply of materials such as paints, cables, anodes and furniture by Nigerian suppliers for the construction of the vessels, and feasibility study on the establishment of the first LNG ship dry-docking and ship repair yard.

    “Consequently, Berger Paints and Paints and Coatings MN have produced and exported over 350,000 litres of paints, Nexans Kabelmetal has shipped over 130,000 metres of low voltage cables and METEC West Africa has exported over 9000 pieces of Aluminium and Zinc sacrificial anodes – all to the ship yards in South Korea for use in newbuild vessels.

    “METEC West Africa and Nexan Kabelmetal through NLNG’s Nigerian Content initiatives have also undergone international class certification and inspection for the manufacture of and supply of sacrificial anodes and low voltage cables respectively to meet the requirements of marine applications.  Berger Paints Plc has increased its portfolio of paints and manufacture to international standards, having installed state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and acquired additional production equipment. Paints and Coatings Manufacturers Nigeria Plc has acquired additional mixers and laboratory equipment and gone ahead to become the first company in Africa to receive the Inter Marine Organisation’s Intershield 300 Ballast Tank Coating certification. Holborn Nigeria Limited developed capacity to manufacture 12 inch (30mm) diameter High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, which had hitherto not been manufactured in the country.

    “Furthermore, deliberate technology transfer initiative has enabled Waste Pipe and Drainage (WPD) to safely and successfully complete the change out of all nominated compressed air dryer bed desiccants in U-4700 (14 vessels in total). This makes WPD the second Nigerian contractor with this level of proficiency that can compete with the previous sole contractor (CAKASA) in LNG Trains molesieve bed change out activity,” he said.

    The NLNG is also facilitating the construction of dry-dock yard in Lagos. The project expected to cost about $1.8 billion is being sited at Badagry and according to the Nigeria LNG, it is as large as 185 football fields put together. The project will also create over 2000 jobs at the construction stage and over 1000 direct jobs on completion.

    The NLNG is looking for a core investor in the project. The Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have stated their preparedness to invest $30 million in the project and will also provide technical support. Discussions for takeoff of the construction are ongoing. Welders, civil and mechanical engineers, ship maintenance and repair technicians and other ancillary workers will be needed from the construction to completion and afterwards, it was learnt.

    On the ship dry-dock and repairs yard, Omotowa said: “Nigeria LNG in partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries reached out to the investment community on December 9, 2014 in Lagos, to promote the development of a ship repair and maintenance yard in Nigeria – Badagry Ship Repair and Marine Engineering Limited (BSME) – that will be sited at Badagry after feasibility studies were carried out at various sites (Onne, Bonny, Olokola, Badagry, Ogogoro Island, Ladol, among others).  Currently, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will manage the development of Badagry Ship Repair and Marine Engineering Limited (BSME) is being put together.

    “BSME will bridge the gap created by the absence of an operational dockyard to cater for the repair and maintenance of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC), LNG carriers, large and medium size carriers, drilling rigs and supports vessels. This is one of the Nigerian Content deliverables on the BGT Plus project.”

    The building of the dockyard becomes imperative considering that NLNG has the largest fleet in sub-Saharan Africa. When the project comes on, the NLNG will stop taking its vessels overseas for maintenance and repairs, thereby creating jobs and wealth in-country, the company said.

    The Nigeria LNG has 23 LNG vessels on long-term charter for its six-train operation, and one domestic LPG vessel. All 23 LNG vessels are utilised on an integrated scheduling basis. They load at NLNG’s terminal in Bonny, for ex-ship deliveries to buyers in Middle East, Asia, Europe, South America, and Gulf of Mexico including ports in Mexico and the United States.

    The LPG vessel is used for LPG delivery in the Nigerian market. With the six new vessels being built in South Korea, the fleet will expand to 29 vessels.

     

  • NLNG to spend $2.5b on Train 7

    •Significant progress made on FID

    The construction of natural gas liquefaction Train 7 is estimated to cost the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) $2.5 billion, it was learnt at the weekend.

    The Train 7, which would have been in operation by now, was enmeshed in undue conflict of interests that over the years stalled the taking its Final Investment Decision (FID) by the shareholders of the company.

    The FID is the last process before the commencement of construction where the directors and shareholders take decision to award the contract after duly considering cost and other developments.

    However, there is hope that the project will eventually become a reality. A source at the company told The Nation that significant progress has now been made toward achieving the FID. Sales and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) have been sealed with five buyers including Suez LNG and BG Gas Marketing, among others for the train, when NLNG thought the project would start as planned.

    The operational six trains, the source said, produce 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG, 5 mtpa of natural gas liquids (NGLs) including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate from the 3.5 billion standard cubic feet per day of natural gas they take. The source said: “Building Train7 will increase the combined production capacity of the seven trains to 30 million tonnes per year (mtpa) of LNG. Besides, the Train 7 project will create between 16,000 and 18,000 jobs in the construction phase and generate substantial revenue for the government.

    The source said NLNG has become the largest fleet owner in sub-Saharan Africa hence it is facilitating the building of dry-dock yard in Lagos where the vessels will be repaired  and maintained instead of taking them overseas, which results in export of jobs, funds.

    “The plant has rapidly and successfully made the transition from a construction project to a stable production operation with a robust framework of people, processes, systems and organisation, and relentless focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement. In addition to regular maintenance of the assets to assure integrity and reliability, opportunities are continuously sought to debottleneck the plant, incorporating proven techniques and processes to maximize production, and manage human interferences and impacts.

    “The plant has also embarked on a structured programme of asset rejuvenation to extend the plant life beyond the current design life. All these activities are underpinned by an excellent health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) culture that continually seeks improvements in the safe and sustainable utilisation of our assets,” the source said.

    The NLNG has spent $9.348 billion on building its operational six natural gas liquefaction trains achieved between 1996 and 2007.

  • NLNG plans $1.5b debut ship yard in Nigeria

    NLNG plans $1.5b debut ship yard in Nigeria

    The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) is building the first major ship yard in the country at the cost of $1.5billion, in a bid to turn Nigeria into a hub for maritime operations on the continent.

    The country is the world’s eighth biggest crude producer and Africa’s top oil exporter but it does not have a dry dock for maintaining and repairing large crude vessels, a major drawback for carriers sailing to the country, NLNG spokesman Tony Okonedo told Reuters.

    Only South Africa had such a facility on the continent, he said, meaning that ships travelled a long distance for repairs. Nigeria only has two facilities that can only accommodate small vessels.

    Okonedo said Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries have both agreed to a $30million commitment towards the construction of the facility, which would be located in Badagry, Lagos.

    “It could potentially be used to transport the 2.5 million barrel a day crude business in Nigeria,” Okonedo said on the sidelines of a media briefing.

    He said the NLNG organized a road show earlier this year to market the dry dock project to investors, which included multinational oil companies in Nigeria, with large exploration and upstream activities.

    He said NLNG, which is owned by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Royal Dutch Shell, French oil company Total, and Italy’s Eni was in discussions with a strategic investor for the project.

    It appointed France’s BNP Paribas and Guaranty Trust Bank to help raise around $1.6 billion two years ago to build six new LNG carrier ships, expanding its fleet to 30.

    The construction of the dry dock, with a size that can accommodate 185 football fields, will take up to 48 months to complete and would commence once all the funding was in place, he said.

    The company, which was set up over two decades ago, has a capacity to produce 22 million metric tonnes of liquefied gas a year. It obtains its gas supply from upstream oil companies and liquefies it for export.

     

     

     

  • NLNG meets 80% of Nigeria’s domestic LPG requirement

    The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) supplies 80 per cent of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) or cooking gas consumed in the country, while the balance is from other sources, it was learnt.

    The company’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Isa Inuwa, said NLNG’s supply for domestic use has helped to crash the price of the product, making it affordable.

    He noted that contrary to reports that NLNG’s cooking gas supply to domestic market is 250,000 metric tonnes (MT), the supply level is 148,000MT.

    He said the 250,000MT is the company’s production capacity for domestic use.

    However, local LPG marketers have been complaining that NLNG has been selling the product to them at international price. Inuwa said that the company sells to Nigerian market at reduced price but noted that other expenses incurred by off-takers to transport the product as well as the cost of storage, may be responsible for the high price at the end-users’ point

    A 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas sells for between N3,000 and N3,500, depending on the area. The LPG marketers said the product is supposed to sell at a much cheaper rate than its sells art the monent. According to them, other countries that have gas and produce LPG, the product sells at cheap rate. In Nigeria, there is abundant gas resource; therefore, cooking gas should sell at very affordable rate and not at the price in the international market.

    The marketers said: “Apart from the fact that cooking gas is processed from natural gas that is abundant in Nigeria, it is sold to us at international price as crude oil, which we consider as an abnormal approach. It is seen as abnormal step especially when the government purportedly tends to be promoting increased use of LPG in-country because it is clean and environmentally friendly when compared to other sources of energy.

    “We buy gas at the same price as marketers from countries that don’t have gas, this made the price to be high over the years. Even with the slump in the price of gas at the international market, marketers in Nigeria have not reviewed their price downwards. The price of LPG in Nigeria has remained as high as when the price of gas was at a record level despite about 50 per cent drop in price in the past six months at least.”

    Nigeria has the least percentage consumption of LPG in sub-Saharan despite having the largest gas reserves, therefore, if the government and the NLNG want to encourage increased consumption of the product, there is need to make it very affordable, the marketers added.

    NLNG’s shareholders are the Federal Government represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49 per cent,  Shell Gas BV (SGBV) 25.6 per cent, Total LNG Nigeria Limited 15 per cent, and Eni International N. V. S. a. r. l 10.4 per cent.

  • NLNG to build N4.5b model school in Bonny

    Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has signed to spend N4.5b to develop a model secondary school on Bonny Island, Rivers State.

    The agreement, co-signed with the Rivers State government and Tianjin Energy Resources Limited, provides the guiding framework for building infrastructure necessary to deliver quality education at the school.

    By the tripartite agreement, NLNG’s funding will be phased, based on construction milestones of building and equipping the new school.

    Bonny Island is home to NLNG’s six train operations which has a nameplate capacity to produce twenty-two million tonnes per annum (22mtpa) of liquefied natural gas that is shipped to buyers in markets across the world.

    The company, in a statement yesterday, said its support is part of its corporate social responsibility in Bonny where, among other initiatives, it invests in capacity building programmes, provides health-care services and has built roads.

    NLNG also supplies uninterrupted power to inhabitants and businesses through a rural electrification project such that Bonny is now often described as the only place in Nigeria enjoying around-the-clock power supply.

     

  • NLNG generates over $10b revenue

    NLNG generates over $10b revenue

    The Managing Director, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Mr Babs Omotowa, has said  the company generated more than $10 billion (about N2 trillion) revenue last year.

    He said company’s gas export in 2013 generated more than $8 billion (N1.6 trillion), while about $1.3 billion (N260 billion) was paid into government coffers as tax.

    Omotowa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  yesterday in Lagos that the company’s emphasis was geared toward sustainable maximisation of natural gas and increased revenue.

    He said: “About 75 per cent of what we are producing is what we were flaring in the past. Now, the NLNG has been able to change this flaring to revenue for the country.

    “We have ordered new six ships to be constructed by Samsung and Hyundai Engineering companies to the tune of $1.2 billion  (N240billion) in 2013 and we are expecting its delivery this year.

    “These ships will be deployed in our business in delivering LNG cargoes to consumers around the world.”

    He also said the development would create about 18,000 new employments and shore up the company’s tax remittance by 40 per cent.

    On the scarcity of cooking gas, Omotowa said that more was being done to force down the price of cooking gas in the country.

    “It is sometimes easy to forget the fact that there was a times in Nigeria when cooking gas was almost like a luxury because of its high price of about N7,500 per 12.5kg cylinder. Now NLNG is changing that narrative,” he said.

  • 109 authors for NLNG Literature Prize

    109 authors for NLNG Literature Prize

    No fewer than 109 writers from Nigeria and other countries have sentered for this year’s Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited. The focus is on Children’s Literature.

    Considered Africa’s most prestigious literary award because of its uncompromising insistence on excellence and the US$100,000 cash prize, the NLNG sponsored initiative rotates yearly among four literary categories of prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.

    Contestants  send in their works, which are assessed by a panel of judges, comprising eminent literary scholars. The judges’ decisions and reviews are overseen by an advisory committee of equally distinguished academics and literalists.

    On the panel for this year’s edition  are Prof Uwemedimo Enobong Iwoketok of the University of Jos, the chairperson, Prof Charles Bodunde of the University of Ilorin, and the University of Maiduguri’s Dr. Razinat Mohammed.

    Members of the Advisory Board for the Prize are Emeritus  Prof Ayo Banjo, Prof  Ben Elugbe and Prof Jerry Agada.

    Kimberly Reynolds, a Professor of Children’s Literature at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom  and  past President of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature,  is this year’s International Consultant to the Advisory Board.

    Submissions are examined and shortlisted based on a number of considerations including editorial excellence, creativity and story plot with the aim of selecting a final winner who will then be publicly announced in October each year, to coincide with the date NLNG shipped its first liquefied natural gas cargo.

    “We have received a hundred and nine books as submissions by Nigerian authors to compete for this year’s prize in children’s literature. I can only wish all the authors vying for the honour, every success and the best outcome possible in the exercise,” said Kudo Eresia-Eke, NLNG’s General Manager External Relations.

    The last winner of the literature prize in the children’s literature category was Adeleke Adeyemi in 2011, for The Missing Clock,while Mabel Segun and Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo were joint winners for the Reader’s Theatre and My Cousin Sammyin 2007.

    This year’s award for children’s literature will run concurrently with the prize for literary criticism, also sponsored by NLNG, and for which only one entry was received. Introduced in 2012, the literary criticism category is a yearly award and carries a monetary value of N1million.

    Elsewhere in education, Nigeria LNG in March 2014 publicly announced a N2 billion University Support Programme (USP). Under the corporate social responsibility initiative, Nigeria LNG is currently sponsoring the building and equipment of engineering laboratories in six universities across Nigeria’s geo political zones as part of its support to teaching, research and capacity building.

  • NLNG pays $14.7b dividend to govt

    The Nigeria Liquefied  Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) paid $14.7billion to the Fedral Government as dividend last year.

    It also paid $15.3 billion dividend to other investors, $21 billion to joint venture (JV) feedgas suppliers, and N220 billion tax during the period.

    In its 2015 Facts and Figures report, NLNG said besides financial contributions, it also contributed substantially to environmental hazard reduction, foreign direct investment, job creation, local content development and the boost in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    The report read: “NLNG utilises gas that would have otherwise been flared, thus making significant contributions to the nation’s income while helping to protect the environment. Payment to joint venture feedgas suppliers from inception till date is almost $21 billion, between 55 and 60 per cent of this amount goes to the Federal Government via its shareholding in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “NLNG has also over the years paid dividends of almost $30 billion, out of which 49 per cent went to the Federal Government through its shareholding in NNPC.

    “As a good corporate citizen, NLNG also contributes to national wealth and economic wellbeing of states in which it operates, by paying all applicable taxes and tariffs. In 2014, the company’s corporate income tax amounted to about N220 billion, thus making NLNG by far the highest tax payer in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa.

    “The company since 2008, contributed about four per cent of Nigeria’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and with current rebasing of the GDP, NLNG’s contribution to the GDP is put at about one per cent.”

    On environmental hazard reduction, the company said it has converted about 133 billion standard cubic metres (Bcm) of associated gas (AG), which is equivalent to 4.68 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of associated gas to exports as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The conversion of the associated gas helped to reduce gas flaring by upstream companies, it stated, adding that however, flares are only permitted in order to eliminate waste gas which cannot be converted to any further use. Flares also act as safety systems for non-waste gas and are released via pressure relief valves, when required, to ease the strain on equipment.

    NLNG also said it provided more than 2,000 jobs in each construction year. Overall, the major sub-contractors employed about 18,000 Nigerians in technical jobs in the base projects adding that through each Nigerian Content plan for its contracts, NLNG has promoted the development and employment of indigenous manpower. “For instance, 600 Nigerians will be trained in Nigeria and at the contractors’ (Hyundai and Samsung) shipyards in Korea as part of the Nigerian Content deliverables tied to the construction of six new LNG vessels by Bonny Gas Transport (BGT), a wholly owned subsidiary of NLNG.

    “Those 600 Nigerians, with enhanced skills in welding, hull assembly, pipe fitting, electrical, mechanical, painting and ship design will join the country’s workforce, providing a support base for technology transfer and industrialisation.

    “Thirty-five of the Nigerian trainees are in Korea for participation in the ship construction and six Nigerians are working as ship managers (two Production Managers, two Quality Assurance/Quality Control Managers and two HSE Managers) in the ship construction at the shipyards in Korea,” it added.

    Shareholders of NLNG are NNPC (49 per cent), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6 per cent), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15 per cent) and Eni International (10.4 per cent).

     

  • Reps to probe NNPC for $14.9bn NLNG profit

    Reps to probe NNPC for $14.9bn NLNG profit

    •Corporation heads for court to stop lawmakers

    The House of Representatives is set to probe the whereabouts of $14.9 billion (about N3 trillion) profit the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas  (NLNG) Company paid to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The amount represents dividends accruing from the sales of liquefied gas from 2004 to 2014 and which the NLNG Company said it paid into the corporation’s accounts.

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, who said this at the weekend, added that the committee would move a motion of urgent national importance at plenary tomorrow to compel the NNPC to bring relevant documents.

    But, the NNPC has moved to stop the House from getting the documents as its lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co Chambers, wrote the House Committee last Friday saying it has no right to request for the LNG accounts.

    Speaking at the weekend, Adeola said: “Just about a month ago, we invited the NLNG to appear before the committee on Public Accounts. They came and told us that Federal Government has 51 per cent holding in the LNG while 41 per cent is owned by Shell and others in the private sector.

    “Yes, if we have 51 per cent, how much of these funds have returned to the Federal Government as dividend? They said they have it. And between 2004 and 2014, they remitted to the NNPC coffers in form of dividends $14.9 billion.

    “We wrote to NNPC asking for an evidence for the sources of revenue, the bank statements, and if there is any expenditure for that account and any other item they can furnish us with.

    “We received a letter from their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co, quoting Section 88 and other relevant sections of the constitution as to why they cannot and will not come before the committee with these particular documents.”

    The lawmaker said Ozekhome’s chamber was a private law firm and did not represent the law courts and that NNPC’s action showed  “that there is more to what we’re seeing.”

    He stated that the committee made a simple request on transactions that concern the generality of Nigerians, “and the next line of action is to go to your lawyer to start writing us and from there move to court to seek injunction preventing us from that document.

    “This tells you the extent to which they have used the judiciary to stall a lot of investigations we are carrying out as a House.

    “And on Tuesday (tomorrow), I want to come by a motion of urgent national importance so that the House can know what is in the offing as far as NLNG is concerned,” the committee chair said.

    He noted that a similar fate befell the investigation of the N10 billion allegedly used by the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison- Madueke, for chartered flights for private travels.

    A court injunction truncated the probe by the same House Committee.