NLC Accuses Oil Minister Of Pre-empting Probe Report

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has raised an alarm over moves by the presidency to jettison the report of the probe of the oil industry by the Faruk Lawan led committee in the House of Representatives.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, yesterday , in a statement described as medicine after death the rush by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke, who is a major actor in the removal of oil subsidy, to set up committees and task forces to probe the oil industry.

Comrade Omar added that since the probe carried out by the National Assembly, particularly, the House of Representatives, on the removal of oil subsidy, there have been insinuations that unprecedented pressures have been mounted on the legislature from various quarters to jettison the report.

He said these interest groups have been identified as oil marketers that might face sanctions based on assessment of their submissions during the probe, speculators and briefcase businessmen who would lose out on cheap money and government officials who have been feeding fat on contrived leakages in the oil industry.

“Our concern that these pressures might overwhelm the report of the probe or if released might not be implemented by the Executive, is not without foundation. The rush by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke,? a major actor in the removal of oil subsidy, to set up committees and task forces to probe the oil industry, though laudable, is tantamount to medicine after death. With due respect to the members of those committees, it might also be a distraction and a ploy to pre-empt the report by the legislature and instigate a major cover up.