Senate questions DPR over payment for uncompleted projects

THE Senate has questioned the Department of Petroleum Resources over the alleged payment of N1.8bn to a private firm, Riverman Technologies Limited, for projects poorly executed.

The offices of the DPR to the oil firms were to be linked to the private firm towards capturing gas production of the international oil companies in the gas sector.

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources had awarded the contract to the firm in 2009, with expected completion in 2011 with supervision by the DPR.

In order to receive full payment of the contract sum, the contractors had petitioned the panel of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

According to released details of the investigative hearing of the Senate committee, which held last week, but available on Monday, the Chairman of the panel, Ayo Akinyelure, had said the DPR officials who approved the payment were supposed to refund the money to the Federation Account.

The panel chairman said, “Why should officials of the Federal Government pay tax payers 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.”

However, the Assistant Director, Gas Exploration and Production in the agency, Mr Godday Ineh, who represented the DPR, told the panel that the supervising ministry issued the certificate to the contractors, which enabled DPR to make payment.