Members of the George Uboh Whistleblowers Network, besieged the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday to protest against Hon Mark Gbillah led Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on alleged 48million barrels of crude oil stolen in Nigeria and sold in China.
The protesters were led by Ambassador Joseph Peter Umoh.
They were armed with banners and placards with various inscriptions denouncing the setting up of the Ad-Hoc Committee by the House of Representatives when the crime according to them, was already being litigated against in the court of law.
Addressing journalists during the protest through a written statement, Umoh said the Hon Mark Gbillah led Ad – Hoc Committee on the illegal sale of 48million barrels of stolen crude oil, 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 exposed 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.
He said, “The Whistleblowers who furnished Hon Mark Gbillah the information germane to the 48million 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 the 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 $2.4billion at $50 per barrel and $4.8billion at $100per barrel.
“Hon Gbillah led Ad – Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives, should therefore hand 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 the leadership of the House of Representatives, he said the protest was staged for the leadership to know the futility of its action on the committee.
