The House of Representatives joint committees have summoned the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari, to appear on May 8, 2024, for an investigation into environmental degradation caused by oil companies in oil-producing communities in Nigeria. The summon was issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Pondi Julius Gbabojor, during an investigative hearing.
Gbabojor emphasized the critical nature of the matter and threatened appropriate sanctions if the invited parties fail to appear. Apart from NNPC Limited, oil companies such as Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Total Energies, Oando Oil Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, and Seplat Energy, among others, have also been summoned.
In addition to the oil companies, relevant government agencies including the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency have been summoned. During the initial probe, only four out of the 35 invited oil companies and agencies showed up. The National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency sent an excuse through a representative, while others did not provide any reason for their absence.
