Crude Oil theft: Whistle blowers kick against Reps Ad-hoc Committee

Hundreds of George Uboh Whistleblowers Network, stormed the main entrance to the National Assembly Tuesday for protest against Hon Mark Gbillah led Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on alleged 48 million barrels of stolen crude oil later sold in China.

The protesters led by Ambassador Joseph Peter Umoh, carried banners and placards with inscriptions denouncing the setting up of the Ad-hoc Committee by the House of Representatives when the crime according to them, is already being litigated against in the court of law.

Addressing journalists during the protest through a written statement, Ambassador Umoh said the Hon Mark Gbillah led Ad-hoc Committee on illegal sale of 48 million barrels of stolen crude oill, later sold in China at $2.4billion, was unnecessary since the crime is already being litigated against in the court of law.

He said as Whistleblowers, they blew open the stolen crude oil and illegal sales in China to Hon Mark Gbillah and Nigerians generally .

Mark Gbillah he added, rather than carry them along in the planned investigation, decided to do it alone, raising suspicion on vested interests.

“The Whistleblowers who furnished Hon Mark Gbillah the information germane to the 48 million barrels of crude oil stolen did not file any petition to the National Assembly for any investigation or hearing, neither were they called as witnesses to testify during hearing .

“Because Gbillah did not follow this sacrosanct due process, the purported public hearing by the Ad-hoc Committee is a sham predicated on unilateral action driven by greed.

“Therefore we the whistleblowers at this protest, authoritatively assert that the National Assembly does not hear or deliberate on any matter in court.

“Two different competent courts of jurisdictions are already handling the case filed against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari to account for proceeds from the stolen crude oil which are roughly estimated to be $2.4 billion at $50 per barrel and $4.8 billion at $100 per barrel.

“Hon Gbillah led Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives, should therefore hands off the matter by not sitting or carrying out any public hearing on it”, he said.

When told that the Ad-hoc committee was not set up by Hon Gbillah himself but leadership of the House of Representatives, he said the protest was staged for the leadership to know futility of its action on the committee.