The House of Representatives has hinted that an American is currently being detained at the Ikoyi Prison in Lagosover his alleged involvement in the illegal sale of 48millions barrels of crude oil which led to the loss of $2.4billion to the country

Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the alleged illegal transaction, Hon Mark Gbillah,said this on Thursday at the inaugural meeting of the panel.

He also disclosed that progress is being made in the investigations as the committee had obtained recordings and photographs of the meetings, documentation to show email trail and discussions and even bank bank account statements of very highly placed people where the transactions took place.

According to him, some of the committee’s informants pertaining to the case have also alleged threats to their lives

He explained that the inauguration of the Committee was a show by the leadership of the House of its willingness and transparency in arriving at the truth behind whatever has transpired in this circumstance.

He also pleaded with countries where the investigations would go to work with the committee.

He said some of those who colluded in the alleged illegal transaction were also in the security agencies and were also cronies of those in authority at the time.

The lawmaker assured that the committee would not deterred in carrying out its mandate.

He said, “Now the Committee takes very seriously issues that have to do with allegations. We owe Nigerians the benefit of doubt in line with our Constitution. We owe them a duty of care to ensure that we unravel the facts of the matter before we start to make any assertions.

“It is obviously going to be important for us to arrive at the conclusion and provide a substantive report that would obviously be in the records and would determine whether or not these issues transpired and in carrying out our functions, one of the things we are going to need to do would be to interview those made those allegations.

“Some of them have reached out to the committee alleging threat to their lives. they were intimidated at gun point allegedly. So we will have to travel out of the country. to the United States, to Mexico, to China. I believe considering the amount of borrowing our country is subjected to now 2.4 billion dollars is money this country very seriously needs.

“So it is not something that this house is taking lightly. The leadership of the house is in support of this committee arriving at the truth and the facts this matter. And it shows the seriousness of this house in addressing issues that have to do with the commonwealth of Nigerians. Even though these allegations were made about two years ago you can see that this responsible House of the Nigerian people has still deemed it necessary to look into this matter even as we go about our electioneering campaigns. So I mentioned the fact that we would have to because of the fears expressed by these individuals.

“It is important to also point out that an American citizen who was also allegedly knowledgeable about these issues is currently in the Ikoyi prison over other infractions he allegedly committed in Nigeria. but there are insinuations that it is not outside this particular matter that informed those issues being brought against him.

“Of course nobody and no country would condone illegality from any national within their shores so there must have been reasons for his incarceration at the moment but I am only conveying to Nigerians the allegations that it was not also unconnected with the revelations that he had to provide with regards to this matter. There are other individuals who are in hiding but are reaching out to the committee.

“We want to assure all the whistleblowers who have revelations to provide to this honourable committee that their information would be treated in the strictest level of confidence as it is done all over the world in other climes. we can receive evidence behind closed doors before we make them public because we too are concerned about spurious and false allegations.

“So we too want to determine and see the facts behind any such allegations before we bring them to public knowledge because we are a public body saddler with the representation of the Nigerian people so we have to also do things responsibly. we are also keen as a house on very quickly enacting the whistleblower bill. We know the executive has been working on one but it appears to be taking them a lot of time to do so. So even within the house a private member bill is being explored because this is a critical aspect to tackle the corruption in our country.

“We commend president Buhari administration for bringing fourth a whistleblower policy but very recently the president himself and the ministers of finance admitted that policy has not been successful in terms of the amount of revelation that they expected and the recoveries expected and these are obviously tied to the lack of protection to whistleblower in the current policy that is in existence.

“We would be appealing to other international partners of Nigeria, the US, Mexican government, the Chinese government to give this committee the cooperation required because we would also necessarily need to also visit some of these countries to obtain the facts behind the matter. Where these crude oil sales allegedly took place, those who were involved, who claimed they were entitled to some percentage of the amount when these sales tool place, they are being very helpful in providing us with the names of some of the individuals who were allegedly in this matter but for the sake of confidentiality and seriousness of this matter,we might not be able to divulge that information until we obtain the facts.

“They have told us they have video recordings, photographs of the meetings, documentation to show email trail and discussions and even bank bank account statements of very highly placed people where these transactions tool place. we hope that Nigerians and the media would be very objective in this issue and provide us with the support that is required to carry out this very onerous assignment.”

A member representing Sagbama/Ekremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State in the House of Representatives, Hon Fred Agbedi, has urged relevant authorities to ensure the implementation of the resolution of the Senate that the Atala Marginal Field be restored to the state government.

He described the allocation of the oil bloc to a private company in 2021 as a demonic deal and an injustice to the people.

He emphasized the need for the prosecution of the oil company that was operating the marginal field for doing so fraudulently as well as the prosecution of individuals or corporate organisations involved in the deal.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Agbedi lauded the Senate for its resolution that the oil bloc be restored to Bayelsa State.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, for their efforts to ensure to restoration the marginal field.

“The Atala Marginal Field was allocated to Bayelsa State government and was managed by Bayelsa Oil Company. Sometime in 2021, we got to know that Atala that was allocated to Bayelsa has been reallocated to another company. Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation and my Federal Constituency rose in protest against it. Mr President sometime ago also ordered that 10 of such marginal fields that were allocated to the states, should be returned back to the states. Nine were returned. Only Bayelsa Atala Farms was not returned and this was what caused the Bayelsa government, the Bayelsa oil company and our investors to petition to the Senate Committee on Petition and Ethics.

“Even within the hearing period, Mr President further ordered that these blocs be returned to Bayelsa State government, the owners of the oil bloc. This had not happened until the Senate finally last week had resolved through proper investigation and hearings found out that all the issues canvassed as to purchase, as to sales, and as to ownership by the new company, Halkin Oil was fraudulent. And so the Senate resolved that the oil bloc should be restored back to Bayelsa State Government which is almost a last bus stop because from the executive arm of government, it has gone to the legislature, the legislature has also affirmed that this oil bloc should be restored to Bayelsa.

“And of course as a representative of where the oil block is found, where it is located, it is important that I stand on behalf of the people to appreciate what the legislature has done as well as what the executive has done and to further urge that this process should be completed. No stumbling block should be found again in the course of restoring this oil bloc.

“And of course if the Senate in their finding, found out that the narrative for which Halkin or whichever partner claimed that the oil blocs belonged to them were fraudulent, then of course for us to strengthen our institutions, we need to hand over such individuals or corporate organizations to the anti-corruption agencies and law enforcement agencies so that criminal investigation would be carried out and then where culprits are identified, they should be prosecuted. It is only by so doing that our institutions are so strengthened.

“The issue of Atala field dispute was a sore narrative in the history of the oil industry in Nigeria. Hence we are so happy that thorough investigation has exposed the heels of a demonic deal. It is also important to thank the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the governor of Bayelsa, HE Gov Duoye Diri and their efforts that ensured that justice was served.

“This is because an injustice to Bayelsa State, the Jerusalem of Ijaw land, is an injustice to the entire Ijaw nation who stood in defence of tbe restoration of the Atala Marginal Field. This commendation is borne out of my sincere conviction and belief that the decision is one that is just, patriotic, selfless, equitable and in accordance with good conscience.”