Lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives have said that they have discovered that about 23 oil companies trading in Nigeria between 2013 and 2022 are not legal entities.
The House ad-hoc committee investigating subsidy regime payments from 2013 to 2022, reported that the companies, despite the volumes of businesses they did in the oil sector in Nigeria, did not have registration records with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Mustapha Ibrahim Aliyu at the resumed hearing of the committee with a couple of oil companies in attendance to explain their role in the deal with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, yesterday said that both the companies and the NNPC Ltd have questions to answer.
The committee chairman said the Committee will write to the embassies of the companies’ countries of origin, which he said were mostly expatriates to provide the details of the profiles.
Upon enquiry to the CAC, the committee said the following reply was received from CAC: “Please be informed that we could not readily find information on the exact names of the following companies as provided in our record.
“Emadeb Consortium; Britania-U Nig. Limited; Totsa Total Oil Tradings SA; Petroleum Trading Nigeria Limited; Mocoh S.A; Socer Worldwide; Calson Bermuda Ltd; Hyson; Litasco S.A; Mercuria Energy; Cepsa Lubricant; Trafigura Pte; Vitol S.A; Ocanbed Trading Limited; Bonno Energy; West Africa Gas Limited; Petrogas; Matrix; Masters Energy; Amg; Barbados; Hindustan and Patermina.
“However, you may wish to provide the registration numbers or any other available documents at your disposal to enable us to investigate further. Kindly accept assurances of the Registrar General’s highest regards,” the CAC letter noted.
Similarly, another letter to the committee, dated 1st July, 2022 on the subject matter also read by the Chairman had names of other oil companies who were to appear before the committee.
“Please find attached five copies each of certified true documents and a flash drive in respect of the following companies”, the CAC letter read.
They companies included Heyden Petroleum Limited RC: 433175; Graton Oil Limited KC: 644074; Duke Oil And Gas. Limited RC; 64456145; Matrix Energy Limited RC: 612026; MRS Companies Limited RC: 241,013; Sahara Trade Nigeria Limited RC: 352,443; Essar Exploration And Production Limited RC: 692910; Sahara Group Limited RC: 668626; Rainoil Limited RC: 257,444; Casiva Limited RC: 1091598; Petroleum Trading And Supplies Company Limited RC: 506113; Napo Oil Limited RC: 333,354; Calson (Nigeria) Limited RC: 121, 474; A. A. Rano Nigeria Limited RC: 399320; JKR Maritime Oil & Gas Limited RC: 1166636; BP Oil development & Energy Services Limited RC: 1506132; A.A Rano Lubes Limited RC: 1531528; Starco Energy Trading Nig Ltd RC: 1135491; A.Y. Maikifi Oil & Gas Company Ltd RC: 973914;The Shell Petroleum Development Company Of Nigeria Limited RC: 892; Oando Oil Limited RC: 427325; A.Y.M. Shafa Limited RC: 296,875
“We shall revert to you on the following companies as soon as we conclude our findings: Hyde Energy; Varo Energy; Eni-Trading; Levene Energy.
“We could not readily find information on the exact name Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd in our record. However, you may wish to provide the registration number or any other available document at your disposal to enable us to investigate further.