The Senate Committee on Local Content, on Thursday, walked out the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Yerim Tarfa, who represented the minister, Dr. Chris Ngige.
The incident happened at the panel’s investigative hearing on the abuse of diving regulations by International Oil Companies operating in the country.
Other representatives of the IOCs, who were barred from the session, included the Director of External Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. E. J. Okorie; Mr. Udobong Ntia (Director, ExxonMobil); Ozemoya Okordion (ExxonMobil); Aderemi Karkat (ExxonMobil); Meziechi Nwogu (Total Nigeria Limited); and Onwuka Oreh (Total Nigeria Limited), among others.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Teslim Folarin, ordered them out of the session.
He said the panel invited the chief executive officers of the various organisations to appear before it and that they were not expected to delegate their appearances.
Folarin said the hearing was sequel to a motion titled: ‘Urgent need to ensure strict compliance with statutory regulations and provisions regarding the Nigerian Diving Sector’.
The resolution of the Senate was also to urge the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity to as a matter of urgency inaugurate the Diving Advisory Board to ensure the regulation of operations in the sector.
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Folarin said the hearing was targeted at addressing the inherent shortcomings associated with the diving sector in Nigeria.
The senator, who spoke with journalists, condemned the behaviour of those who delegated their subordinates to attend the public hearing.
He said, “It was utterly condescending and a show of monumental disrespect for the institution of the National Assembly for the invited CEOs and the various IOCs, who decided to delegate other officers to represent them at the hearing.”
He frowned at a situation where the IOCs had continued to abuse and disregard the nation’s diving regulations in a sector he said was worth about $1bn annually.
He wondered if legislatures in the home countries of the IOCs would tolerate representation by lower cadre officers of foreign organisations if they had cause to invite them.
The PUNCH
