From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and Mobil Producing Nigeria Joint Venture, NNPCL/MPN JV, Dan Abia has dismissed allegations of procurement fraud in Akwa Ibom oil commodities.
Abia is a member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, representing Esit Eket on the Host Community Development Trust Fund, HCTF, comprising no fewer than seven oil producing local government areas of Eket, Mbo, Onna, Ibeno, Mkpat Enin, Esit Eket and Eastern, EMOIMEE.
Speaking in an interview in his residence in Eket Local Government Area yesterday, Abia described allegations of embezzlement of the trust fund in the procurement of vehicles and palliatived as politically motivated, explaining that “it is impossible for anyone to carry out any form of embezzlement because of the way the PIA is structured.”
He said: “PIA is a specialised area and very novel. Every day we are learning and because we don’t want to make mistakes, the speed is not much because the checks are serious. In fact, the way the PIA is fashioned, it is almost impossible to have any form of embezzlement.
“We have several layers of control; we have the Board of Trustees whose job and responsibilities are distinct from the management committee. The management committee also has its responsibility which is distinct from that of the advisory committee.
“The checks don’t even stop at that level, we have the settlor, which is like the general overseer, then you have yet again the regulator, by this Act, there is only one regular and it is the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulation Commission. The regulator regulates the settlor and activities of the Trust.
“You cannot go outside the host community development plan, so you are guided by the PIA document. It is specified by law that the settlor should carry out needs assessment and the bottom line is that the needs assessment and host community development plan is done by the settlor (Mobil) in conjunction with the community.
“It is impossible to do a project that is not contained in the document and that means you cannot invent any project. These allegations are politically motivated and coming from people who are yet to benefit.”
He disclosed that since inauguration in August, Esit Eket Trust Fund had only done two projects— the scholarship grant to students and purchase of 95 mini buses and 95 motorcycles to communities in Esit Eket.
