The Nigerian Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has questioned the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on the transaction it made with a company that executed an unsatisfactory job.
It asserted that the DPR was tasked with the duty of ensuring that the contracted job was implemented satisfactorily before payment was made.
In 2009 the Ministry of Petroleum Resources awarded a contract to Riverman Technologies to connect offices of the department to oil firms for the proper capturing of the production of gas of foreign oil firms.
The project was scheduled for completion in 2011 under the oversight of the department.
Following Riverman Technologies Limited’s petition to the Senate asking for complete payment from the contract fee, the Senate launched a probe into the matter.
READ ALSO: NPA Embarks On Dredging Of Escravos Channel
The Senate committee’s Chairman Ayo Akinyelure said, “Why should officials of the Federal Government pay taxpayers money to a contractor without due diligence?
“Why did the DPR pay the contractors who did not execute the projects awarded to them satisfactorily?
“Government officials should have ensured that satisfactory job had been completed before paying tax payers money out.
“The person who authorised the payment should be made to refund it to the federation account.”
